Openings and closings (2006–2008 part 2)

[LordBalthazar]

Monde Chocolat opened its doors last week on Burrard St. (just below West Broadway). I did a little write-up on the blog -

http://josephmallozzi.blogspot.com/2007/06/june-22-2007.html

Some interesting selection in that Zotter line. Among the flavors I picked up and subsequently brought into work for my friends to "enjoy" was a celery, truffle and port wine creation and something called "bacon bits" which included pieces of crunchy pork cracklings!

[Anchoress]

Monde Chocolat opened its doors last week on Burrard St. (just below West Broadway).  I did a little write-up on the blog -

http://josephmallozzi.blogspot.com/2007/06/june-22-2007.html

Some interesting selection in that Zotter line.  Among the flavors I picked up and subsequently brought into work for my friends to "enjoy" was a celery, truffle and port wine creation and something called "bacon bits" which included pieces of crunchy pork cracklings!

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Tee hee, Life imitates Art (aka The Simpsons). "Move over eggs, bacon just got a new best friend! FUDGE!!"

[Daddy-A]

one review in already:

http://www.dinehere.ca/restaurant.asp?r=2604

I'll add to that review:

Best Barstools EVER.

A.

[kevfoodvan]

You mean these:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanmixer/573242186/

one review in already:

http://www.dinehere.ca/restaurant.asp?r=2604

I'll add to that review:

Best Barstools EVER.

A.

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[Vancitygirl]

Kev,

Those are Raj Taneja's photos. So, no.

Edited June 23, 2007 by Vancitygirl (log)

[kevfoodvan]

Van City Girl: If you click on the link, the photos are of the bar stools at Metro.

Kev

Kev,

Those are Raj Taneja's photos.  So, no.

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Edited June 23, 2007 by kevfoodvan (log)

[Daddy-A]

Van:  the Raj photos are of the bar stools at Metro which Daddy A was referring to.

Dangle your preposition much?

Yep, those are the stools. The chairs in the dining room are trés comfy too.

A.

edited to correct my correction. My grammar sucks.

Edited June 23, 2007 by Daddy-A (log)

[kevfoodvan]

So we both suck at grammar but back to the topic at hand:

Did you try the food?

Van:  the Raj photos are of the bar stools at Metro which Daddy A was referring to.

Dangle your preposition much?

Yep, those are the stools. The chairs in the dining room are trés comfy too.

A.

edited to correct my correction. My grammar sucks.

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Edited June 23, 2007 by kevfoodvan (log)

[Vancitygirl]

Van City Girl: If you click on the link, the photos are of the bar stools at Metro.

Kev

Kev,

Those are Raj Taneja's photos.  So, no.

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I was confused about what we were talking about. Again.

[Daddy-A]

Did you try the food?

I'm tempted to say "yes" and leave it at that.

I'm going to wait for a subsequent visit once Metro has "officially" opened to give a thorough run-down of the food. What I will say is the "by the ounce" options worked much better than I thought it would ... a perfect way to share lots of dishes amongst a group. I really enjoyed the vennison, gravalax (like butter), spot prawns (chili bean cassoulet!) and duck ... and the charcuterie plate featured cheese from the Islands (Gulf & Vancouver) which I really appreciated.

We sat at the bar afterwards with Brian (and someone who I could have sworn was Earnest Borgnine) and listened to him talk the cooks through each new dish. It was at this point I realized how damn comfy the bar stools were!

As Kate said upthread, the room isn't 100% yet (I wouldn't have noticed the missing bits unless Tim pointed them out to me) but even at 90% it's beautiful. The view out the north windows makes it one room where I won't mind going to an early dinner and once the deck opens, watch out Parkside!

A.

[kevfoodvan]

Thanks for the feedback.

Did you try the food?

I'm tempted to say "yes" and leave it at that.

I'm going to wait for a subsequent visit once Metro has "officially" opened to give a thorough run-down of the food. What I will say is the "by the ounce" options worked much better than I thought it would ... a perfect way to share lots of dishes amongst a group. I really enjoyed the vennison, gravalax (like butter), spot prawns (chili bean cassoulet!) and duck ... and the charcuterie plate featured cheese from the Islands (Gulf & Vancouver) which I really appreciated.

We sat at the bar afterwards with Brian (and someone who I could have sworn was Earnest Borgnine) and listened to him talk the cooks through each new dish. It was at this point I realized how damn comfy the bar stools were!

As Kate said upthread, the room isn't 100% yet (I wouldn't have noticed the missing bits unless Tim pointed them out to me) but even at 90% it's beautiful. The view out the north windows makes it one room where I won't mind going to an early dinner and once the deck opens, watch out Parkside!

A.

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[nwyles]

We sat at the bar afterwards with Brian (and someone who I could have sworn was Earnest Borgnine) and listened to him talk the cooks through each new dish. It was at this point I realized how damn comfy the bar stools were!

for all of you star watchers out there,

it was only me.

I did not realize a chef could "call in" the food otherwise I would have started doing this a long time ago.

Brian coached a couple of cooks through a pair of meals from the comfort of his barstool............they managed to pull it off.

In today's Wi Fi world, I hope I am able to "call it in" from the confort of my couch at home soon.

[PaoPao]

Chilos on Victoria is no longer and now in it's place is "El Caracolito" Taqueria which is the same owners of "El Caracol" Mexican restaurant two doors down.

I asked the new owners what had happened to Chilo and nobody knew.

The tacos were good but I still think Chilo's were better. For $60 the 5 of us had Nachos, Guacamole, pops and a ton of tacos and left very satisfied.

[Chef Fowke]

We sat at the bar afterwards with Brian (and someone who I could have sworn was Earnest Borgnine) and listened to him talk the cooks through each new dish. It was at this point I realized how damn comfy the bar stools were!

for all of you star watchers out there,

it was only me.

I did not realize a chef could "call in" the food otherwise I would have started doing this a long time ago.

Brian coached a couple of cooks through a pair of meals from the comfort of his barstool............they managed to pull it off.

In today's Wi Fi world, I hope I am able to "call it in" from the confort of my couch at home soon.

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WOW...interesting spin…the line between training and being a barfly!

Please understand ~ the food was for Earnest Borgnine, or at least a cheap chef-like copy…not a customer (he is not my hairy, chubby lover! But he does cook a great steak). The cooks did great and learned 5 new dishes satisfying the belly of the King of Yaletown. 'Neil a mangé pour libre et a bu tout mon Heineken'

....training and opening a new restaurant is 18 hour days. We are not opened officially. Lots of kinks and mods still to do ~ plus 6 serious design features to install. Today’s menu will not be the menu we open with on July 1st, 2007. Final touches could be as late as July 15th, 2007!!!

Please come down this week and sit at the counter in front of me; show me your eGullet decoder ring and 10% (or more) of your food bill will disappear if you are able to give me constructive criticism. This menu is ‘first off, unique' in its concept and I need to work the kinks out and would appreciate you all as Guinea pigs.

With the layout of the kitchen ~ everything is going to be cooked al a minute in FULL VIEW of the guests of Metro and needs to be executed perfectly in a clean and entertaining fashion.

I am looking forward to offering my little input into defining Contemporary Canadian Cuisine ~ as defined and influenced by the dining public, industry and media (and yes; AG).

Maybe a new link, with photos to discuss what is Metro, sustainable and the West Coast’s answer to Contemporary Canadian Cuisine. I would like to know what is customer driven vs. lazy West Coast stand-bys...the discounted dollar is GONE ~ it is time to prove that Vancouver is quality driven; not a discount destination!

Edited June 24, 2007 by Chef Fowke (log)

[D90]

^ sigh I guess I missed out on the discount last night lol

[Kentan]

It looks like IGA will be opening up a new store at the corner of Robson & Richards. I checked out their website and they have TWO other stores coming soon - 4th & Collingwood and Broadway & Vine.

Quite a few new grocery stores opening in the next little while:

Whole Foods - Cambie & W Broadway

Save-on Foods - Cambie & W 8th

Urban Fare - Bute & W Hastings

That's 6! Any I've forgotten?

Now if only Trader Joe's would get its act in gear and open a store here!

[Sam Salmon]

Nuba on Seymour is finally opened-brand new everything.

Not much more room for eating but a much bigger kitchen, Staff is friendly and efficient as always, food is great.

[quattroporte]

It looks like IGA will be opening up a new store at the corner of Robson & Richards. I checked out their website and they have TWO other stores coming soon - 4th & Collingwood and Broadway & Vine.

Quite a few new grocery stores opening in the next little while:

Whole Foods - Cambie & W Broadway

Save-on Foods - Cambie & W 8th

Urban Fare - Bute & W Hastings

That's 6! Any I've forgotten?

Now if only Trader Joe's would get its act in gear and open a store here! 

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One more - Nestor's Market will be opening shortly on Main St. near 28th Ave.

[fud]

It looks like IGA will be opening up a new store at the corner of Robson & Richards. I checked out their website and they have TWO other stores coming soon - 4th & Collingwood and Broadway & Vine.

Quite a few new grocery stores opening in the next little while:

Whole Foods - Cambie & W Broadway

Save-on Foods - Cambie & W 8th

Urban Fare - Bute & W Hastings

That's 6! Any I've forgotten?

Now if only Trader Joe's would get its act in gear and open a store here! 

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One more - Nestor's Market will be opening shortly on Main St. near 28th Ave.

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There's a rumour an IGA is falling into that same corner with Whole Foods and Save-On-Foods. I can't understand why but that's how the rumour mill goes.

[vandan]

just opened at the seabus station of all places transcontinental railway lounge by the steamworks ppl, looks very big and swanky (and expensive too!) patio out front , no view what a shame

[barolo]

just opened at the seabus station of all places transcontinental railway lounge by the steamworks ppl, looks very big and swanky (and expensive too!) patio out front , no view what a shame

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There's an article in Sun today: here with some of the background on the new space.

"Curves are expensive, but curves are what make it," says Gershkovitch.

"We're not into linear. In many ways we're going against what seems to be a trend in Vancouver restaurants to go minimalist. There is a time and place for that, but we're more of the opinion that more is more."

....

"My [concept] is to be big enough to be impressive, but not so overwhelming as to be intimidating," he says.

"You need to have an arrivals experience, you need to have a sense that this is grand space, but you also need intimacy."

He also doesn't want patrons to be intimidated by the prices, or menu. For lunch, the TransContinental will serve a clubhouse or a burger for about $12. It will also serve "Irv's Montreal smoked meat," named in honour of Gershkovitch's dad.

Of course, there will also be more expensive fare, like wild chinook salmon or Alberta beef -- and chef Cale Price used to work at Le Crocodile. But Gershkovitch wants to appeal to the masses, not just the elite.

[barolo]

A few changes on Davie/Denman that I haven't seen reported:

The old 1215 on Davie is becoming Shanghai 1949, a "Chinese bistro"

A Cookies by George is opening beside Cupcakes on Denman

Soho Pub (Bar?) opened in the former Pacific Crab Company location on the second floor at Denman and Davie after its former location around the corner on Davie was pulled down to build condos.

Marble Slab Creamery - an ice cream place that looks like it escaped from a mall in the suburbs - is open beside St Germain bakery. Line ups every time i've walked by.

Legendary Noodles opened a few months ago.

The Calling Public House is where Denman Street Free House was on Davie and Denman. I'm not sure what actually changed here other than the name.

[kontemporary]

The old 1215 on Davie is becoming Shanghai 1949, a "Chinese bistro"

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Only in the restaurant industry is colonialism glorified You should see all the French-Vietnamese restaurants in the US specifically recreating that era.

Edited July 16, 2007 by kontemporary (log)

[Andrew Morrison]

I don't understand the colonial tie?. 1949 marked the year the communists marched into Shanghai...

[kevfoodvan]

Marble Slab Creamery - an ice cream place that looks like it escaped from a mall in the suburbs - is open beside St Germain bakery. Line ups every time i've walked by.

It actually escaped from the Untied Arab Emirates:

http://www.marbleslab.com/locations/international.html

and Ontario, USA and now coming to BC.