nwyles

My staff are lingering too long on Oprah and the Food Network's "Top Five". I have to light a fire under some asses when "Poker" is on. I know how bad it will be during hockey !

Sony or JVC ?

On the water issue. I had a waiter who would really push the water. " Sparkling, still or good old Vancouver tap ?" I did not like that approach. I felt uncomfortable when I heard it and realized that if I did not like it, I should put a stop to it. I think water should be poured for each guest as they are sat right away. After that , you can ask if they would like bottled water. I like sparkling with dinner and order it all the time. I do not like to be forced into it or made in any way uncomfortable. I am running a business but I think my business is about making people feel welcome and comfortable and not trying to trick them into ordering something they do not want or need.

I was on the fence with the TV's I was thinking about removing them. Or is it time to go for it and get the full rack of flat screens ? Are they a decideing factor when choosing where to dine ? Apart from the occasional "edge of your seat" Stanley Cup game seven, do they detract for old fashioned dinner conversation ?

I will go over, have a massage, and re-check my facts. I will report back to the panal later today. N

She must have been here at some point. My neighbours have "hosted" her a number of times, although, not recently.

You have no need to be embarrassed, nor should you consider censoring your thoughts. This board is the perfect place for interaction between restaurant professionals and the dining public. Everybody has a chance to be heard and respond if needed. I hope you can take Len up on his offer to discuss as I know he is fully committed to his staff, restaurants and guests. I for one think it is great that "C" is able to respond and an interaction can begin. We have seen other restaurants discussed here without any response and we are all poorer for it.

I was probably closed as we have a nice contra arrangement : They eat and Joan goes to the spa. Sucks for Neil !!

Hanger steak eaters of the world unite and make your voices heard ! My neighbour got some press ( Skoah Spa ) in the NYT , so I was sooooooo close. Perhaps a tiny GBP ( Gingerbread pudding ) on the pillow at the spa next time.

Small world. I will be staying a few days at some place called Tigh-na-mara in Parksville. I think the property has a restaurant but I am looking fr something close by that will be suitable for me, the wife and two small kids. We have done Keg, Milestones, Earls, White Spot to death and want to try something else while we are away. Any suggestions ?

Just briefly : Was your tuna perhaps Albacore tuna ? It is not the same bright red that you would normally see. I have seen pieces that are very light in colour, sometimes slightly beige for lack of a better colour word. This would be more in line with their Oceanwise program.

It is very few restaurants that can't make it in Yaletown : Mangiamo ( Circolo ) Century Grill ( Blue Water ) Don't Show the Elephant : recently empty Farrago ( Brix ) Milan's : very short lived and now Mira

What are the rules for membership in BUrger Club ? Can someone like myself join in with wife and kids in tow ?? Let me know befor eI start planning Sunday's dinner !! Neil

I think a soft opening is always needed. It is not a luxury but an oppourtuity to give the staff a fighting chance once the doors open for real. As you only have one chance to make a first immpression, dry runs or soft opening are crucial. Do as much "role playing" and procedure manual review you want but people need to get in there and work things out. There are a million things that need to be worked out. Although the designer laid out a beautiful bussing station, it will really be for the bussers to get in there and stock it and see how it really works. Perhaps the cupboards are too small for the tablecloths and the cutlery racks do not fit etc. That takes a couple of days. Whether the restaurant was one month late or one year late, an extra couple of days to work things out are a drop in the bucket in the overall lifetime of the restaurant.

Wow, Derek, you have name and a title. Nice to see you finally out yourself. I will pop up to get this Sun asap. I was going to go to Watermark last night for a drink but my friend had already been and was not too keen on returning. That does not bode well as he is a fairly forgiving person. Maybe time to get a new friend ?

I would grab a "Kozy Shack" from Urban Fare once a week and down in one sitting. I felt like such a glutton but I could not put it down. I just had to stop going to Urban Fare altogether.

This topic has certainly gone round and round. Do they have a responsibility to be better or is that we just want them to be better. Can a restaurant open and get it right in every aspect or do some things not quite measure up. ( There is an opening coming up this week that should help answer this question ) Look at the pedigrees of the people involved. Lynda Larouche : very good chef, high volume restaurants, should be a winner. The Elephant and Castle group : Fish and chip, Hot oil immersion method cooking, Shepherd's pie, cookie cutter mall restaurants. They were the highest bidder on the location. It does not mean they were the best, just had the best package. Maybe this is the best they can do. I know we all want them to be better, to represent our city better, to represent the food scene in Vancouver better. That's what we want. Just by reading this board you have an interest in the food scene in Vancouver and want it to be great. As stated upthread, most waterfront restaurants are mediocre. " C " would be the exception to that rule and a few others. I doubt this restaurant will be what we want it to be. It will be a CFD that probably will never measure up to what an Earl's can do. Accept it. Let's look to the next new restaurant and hope for the best.

James, Are you returning to Blue Water or Araxi ? Are you not interested in getting another year contract ? or was this a just a short term job. I am curious as to what type of functions they hold at the Consulate and what are your responsibilites. Are you preparing three square a day for the staff or is it mainly for visitors and Consular functions.

Accountants? ← Perhaps this is the classic case of the pencil stirring the soup. Too bad. So much potential. It is not too late for a retool.

I would not like to think about how much. I am just happy that not many of my dollars are not wasted on bad meals. Life is too short for that.

Winegeek : I will cut them some slack. My issue is how does someone like Alex Gill gets in and out twice without anyone spotting her or at least noticing her. At Fortes, it is Frenchy's job to make sure he notices that stuff and make sure he has food writer's faces memorized in that Rolodex of a mind. It is his job to alert the kitchen, the Chef and the other managers to make sure that everything at that table goes smoothly. If a writer slips between the cracks and writes some disparaging words, the owner is not after the appy cook's head, he's looking for Frenchy. Same thing at Watermark. Someone is being paid handsomely to make sure that the media are well received. This is not a Ruth Reichl " incognito" review. Alex Gill does not wear wigs and fat lady disguises. Little inside info for non food professionals : If any food media are spotted in the restaurant , the staff are alerted to it and everyone is one their toes to make sure that the table is a little "extra special ". If you ever thought it was any different, wake up and smell the coffee.

Is nobody going to bite ? Ok. Unfair ? Perhaps, but not unexpected. This place has been in the crosshairs for some time now. Part of the expectations have been created by the hype, and possibly the hype created outside of their restaurant group, but hype nonetheless. They should have been ready for this. The restaurant group, G.M. and chef have the resourses to train, train and train for this opening. Having poured so much money into it, you would have thought that this is something that would have happened. Cityfood had an interesting bit the other week about restaurant openings and charging half price for food while the bugs are being worked out. I found it very interesting. If I was ever to open another, I certainly would take that approach. Why should your first guests be expected to pay full price while you fine tune your operation. It was so simple, it was brilliant ! Paying half price would certainly take the sting out of any opening hiccups and generate an interesting amount of goodwill right out of the gate. Alex Gill is a known person. Her picture is in the paper. When she walks in, the media handlers and management should know it. They get a head start on the reveiw. They know what she looks like. It is not an anonymous review. If they dropped the ball, then perhaps these experiences were representative of the overall picture. It sounds like they had two kicks at the can ? Lynda Larouche has a great resume and has been the exec at some nice restaurants. This is not a career killer or anything like it. I would not have chosen the word "crap" to describe anybody's food in a published article. This is only one review. I am sure there are more to come. Put all of them together and that will give you a balanced picture of what is going on at Watermark. I myself will wait for one of those rainy November nights to climb the stairs. That will give me a clear picture of the skills of the kitchen even though the million dollar view will be through raindrops.

Hey, don't knock Disney ! They now serve alcohol and you can go to a wine tasting in the California Dreaming Adventure Park. That should make the trip somewhat bearable - I know it did for me !

Ok, let's take it down a notch. Had a couple of guys at the beer tasting try a classic move that I thought I had perfected as a five year old on me tonight. Patio is full with guests of the beer tasting. Buddy asks server if he can smoke a cigar. Server does not know to do even though I had clearly stated that there would be no smoking on the patio either night while we had an event going on. I think that that is fair as I decided that the BBQ and beer tasting would be outside. I should not submit my guests to that until the event is over. My wife goes over and says no that he may not. He says how about if I go on the other side of this fence ? You can't do anything ! Joan states that it would be childish and disrespectful of our other guests. He sits down and then decides to come and find me. I just chuckle. This is the old " mom said, Dad said " He asks. "Did my wife just tell you no ? Why would you set me up for domestic discord ? I have to go with no as well ! " This issue has certainly gained some momentum in the last few days in the local media. If this comes down, it will be a nightmare to manage. It is not like I do not have enough to do already than patrol my patio for illegal smokers. If the governments were not addicted to the revenues this brings in, it would be easier for them to outlaw the sale of smokes and take on this issue themselves instead of the hospitality industry. My job is to make people feel warm and comfortable, not scold them for lighting up. P.S. I wonder if you would be allowed to make a citizen's arrest for for illegal use of a deadly item. Maybe lay a little taser on them. Where do I get the big tie straps for handcuffing people.