Truth be told: Where've you eaten lately? (Part 2)

[transfattyacid]

Hi guys;

friday lunch- Vera's (okay so I know that it doesn't really count but I had to try something new) the "triple header" a beef patty with cheddar, turkey with provolone, and lamb with feta, an 18 oz monster    I had to eat it as fast as I could so I could finish it.

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Exceptional work Sir. you should be commended.

:]

[seanw]

Gerald,

Its a veritable food pyramid you have with that 'triple header', how much does it cost?

[gerald]

Gerald,

          Its a veritable food pyramid you have with that 'triple header', how much does it cost?

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no price yet, stay tuned

[sniffles]

1. Friday night went to Bentei Sushi (strip mall on Broadway off Holdom), Japanese owned (and yes I must say that). Food was quite good, had the california combo (4 pieces nigiri and a california roll- $8) and 3 spicy tuna rolla ($2.25per). SO had an udon, chicken kaarage (appy) and a chopped scallop roll. Total was $30 plus tip. There are not many places in N. Burnaby for "good" sushi, I would return to this place. Also anyone been to the new(er) sushi place by Hastings across from Happy Honda?

2. Sunday Lunch: Vera's on Denman (it was either Fatburger/Vera's....Vera's/Fatburger...Fatburger/Vera's...) ok it was Vera's.

Had the Doug Burger (open faced 2 patties with chili $8.95). The patty was very good, had red relish on it and forgot how "sour" red relish was. The chili was average, did not sense much flavour in the chili. SO enjoyed the vera with mushrooms ($5.50). Ordered fries for the little one, they looked greasy when I picked then up (yes they were hot and must of been out of the fryer). I would go back and start with a more basic burger.

3. Sunday night: KFC (Hastings and Alpha/Beta), ordered 2 pieces for the little one, fed him the meat only and I had the yummy skin an hour later. Load and behold 10mins after I ate the skin he had (afa we know) he had a tummy ache, and that kind of carried onto me. Crying/screaming (a la Mariah Carey)....screaming/crying...him not me. Calmed down when mommy was holding him, went to emergency, he was still acting restless. After an hour waiting he was well enough to start playing with the toys there. OK give the wristband back to reception and went home. Now where did place the Pam-An approved PETA membership form?????

[Chef Fowke]

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.

[winegeek]

Chef Fowke,

Thanks for the great review. I have heard nothing but great things about Nu and look forward to trying it very soon.

[Leonard]

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.

←

I will pass your comments on to the staff.

Thank you,

Leonard

NU GM

[Leonard]

Chef Fowke,

Thanks for the great review.  I have heard nothing but great things about Nu and look forward to trying it very soon.

←

Introduce yourself when you decide to come.

Sincerely,

Leonard

NU GM

[2roost]

Our server had been trained way past her abilities

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WTF does that mean ? How do you know what her "abilities" are and whether or not she was trained way past them.

[Chef Fowke]

Our server had been trained way past her abilities

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WTF does that mean ? How do you know what her "abilities" are and whether or not she was trained way past them.

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...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.

[Keith Talent]

WTF do you think it means?

[easy]

I have finally accumulated enough Monday night dining adventures over the past month to post some thoughts here.

1. Cioppino's: Myself, our chef, and head server headed out to check the Yaletown scene. Cioppinos seemed to be busier than Milestones on a Monday night which I love . Pino was extra kind to us as Jeremie our chef used to work under him, he may have gotten a kick out of this. Lobster ravioli was decent. None of the apps stood out as "mind blowing". The mains consisted of two osso buco's and a braised short rib. Both were examples of perfection. We all tried the desserts Creme brule, Gorganzola cheesecake, and warm chocholate heart of which the warm chocolate heart was so good we ordered another. Service was flawless and our meals were washed down with many rounds of Cosmos ($80 is the cheapest bottle of wine...owch). All in all a very good experience but not my preference for a meal out. I prefer a loud boisterous atmosphere which won't cost me the equivalent of a months rent.

2. Chambar: Here is a loud boisterous atmosphere! For a Monday night it was great to see this place bumpin'. Myself and two dining companions decended on Chambar an hour late for our reservation (we called ahead like decent people should). Another outstanding meal. Keri warmly greeted us as we walked in and we proceeded to order a round or 2 of cosmos. Apps came out 1. Fois Gras - Unreal smokey, maple fatty goodness. 2. Mussels Conolaise - Hands down the best in the city and such a large portion for $18. For our mains, we went for the Duck breast, Flatiron steak, and one other dish that I can not remember at the moment. It was all so good that I have no idea what side dishes were on the plates. Could also be that we downed it all with a Cline Syrah and did a shooter with our server. Again I was blown away by this place. They seem to have everything in place. Best dining experience I've had in years. The unpretentiosness of the staff and ambiance totally suits this city IMO.

3. The Reef: This was a Friday night, my first out in the real world in a long time (my girlfriend made me). No idea why we decieded to go here but I like loud places and this fit the bill. We waited a few minutes 2 rum and cokes worth of time for a table and since we couldn't deceide on what to order we told our waitress to bring out her favorites. Everything was good but the Halibut cheeks with coconut rice was fantastik! The jerk wings were very spicy as they should be! When I want spicy I want my mouth on fire. My lovely dining companion did not agree. Good place, I will definitely go back.

4. Tantra lounge in lonsdale quay - Great view! Finished a hike up to Lynn Peak and came in for beers and burgers. The beer was good and so was the view. That's all I'll say

Next week Aurora!

Cheers

[chef jeff]

Next week Aurora!

Hi Eric, just to let you know ahead of time, we are closed on Mondays. This Monday we are doing the Waiterblog dinner though, so if you drive by and see a full room, don't think I was lying! I'd encourage you to join us, but we are sold out.

Normally though the only cooking I do on a monday is on my bbq on my patio.

Hope you can join us another day!

cheers, Jeff

[easy]

Next week Aurora!

Hi Eric, just to let you know ahead of time, we are closed on Mondays. This Monday we are doing the Waiterblog dinner though, so if you drive by and see a full room, don't think I was lying! I'd encourage you to join us, but we are sold out.

Normally though the only cooking I do on a monday is on my bbq on my patio.

Hope you can join us another day!

cheers, Jeff

←

Damn...

Sunday Brunch then!

Peace

[Viola da gamba]

Thanks to work, I have amassed three very quickly - and they're not even the usual suspects!

My last 2 lunches have been in "Old Hazelton" - it's about a 45 - 50 (depending on how hard you adhere to the speed limit) minute drive west of Smithers. We ate once at "Rob's Pizza", an unpromisingly named restaurant in an old riverboat right on the new dyke they've built beside the river. Fabulous view - watched bears fishing the river - they had more luck than I have been. The soup that day was a roasted corn & ham chowder - very good - the ham was nicely smoked, and the corn was from a cob, not a can - delicious. Rather than bread, they make home-made garlic bread sticks, which were sufficiently garlicky to cause comment when I went back to work. One of the party had the fettucine rusticana, which he said was excellent & wouldn't share - loaded with olives, tomatoes, and green bits (couldn't tell if it was spinach or parsley) - it looked excellent and apparently the pasta was nicely al dente. Coffee refills were attentive, as was water. We'll be going back for dinner (chicken sacchetti in a gorgonzola/prosciutto sauce calls to me) and I will report later.

Yesterday, lunch was at the Trading Post, whose latest boast to fame is hosting Iona Campagnola (spelling? My apologies) last time she was up this way. Three of the party had the beef dip with the soup of the day (borscht). Apparently, it was excellent - more a Russian than a Hungarian borscht, for those of you to whom that means something. The sandwich part of the dip was served on ciabatta - it looked great - and when hot mustard was requested, it really was - not French's at all. Not being a fan of beef dip or borscht, I had the crab cakes - they came with a side salad (fresh, and the vegetables looked like they might have been grown locally) and a lemon dill sauce. They were excellent - very crab-by, no bread crumbs in sight - highly recommended. Again, attentive coffee & water service.

Yesterday evening was dinner at the Alpenhorn. They're changing the menu, but I wasn't feeling adventurous & had the smoked salmon & brie bruschetta. One of my favourite combinations done nicely. 'Nuff said.

[*Deborah*]

Most of my recent dining has been covered elsewhere (the Drucker dinner in Richmond--thanks again, canucklehead, for putting that together! and Ezogiku ramen earlier in the week with Moosh and Junior Mouse ). I have been on a budget kick, actually even bringing my lunch to work 3 out of 4 days last week--unheard of! so there haven't been a lot of other meals to talk about.

Yesterday, though, my Mum came to town, so we went out. I was astonishingly indecisive about where to go. I had a 7:30 show at Richard's so wanted an early meal, and wanted really to be nearby...I looked at some prix-fixe menus around, and looked in my "Embarrassing Admissions" entries to see some of the places I hadn't been to that I ought to have been to, and looked at some more menus, and just couldn't make up my mind and didn't want to get all dressed up to then dress down for my show. Long story long () we ended up sneaking into the HSG for an early bite.

We had a budget bottle of Quail's Gate 2003 Old Vines Foch, not my very favourite, but I could drink it again. Especially for the price ($45). I had gone in there intending to have maybe two appetizers, didn't want to eat too much. Then I looked at the fresh sheet, and the immortal words Surf & Turf looked back at me. Sirloin, Dungeness Crab...aaaaahhhh. So that's what I had. I ended up with a steak I would have had trouble finishing at the best of times, and half of a crab that was more than I could finish on its own! Whoa! Lovely lovely crab, I've been on this total crab kick lately. And to start, my mum and shared the crabcake She had her usual sirloin and Caesar.

For dessert, divergence! I had the GBP, it had been too long. Mummy had the special huckleberry crème brûlée. And a GBP to go which she demolished for breakfast this morning. And I brought home most of my steak and the best crab leg of the bunch, with the claw

Thanks for another delicious meal, Neil!

[McTee]

Check this one out -

Griffins Restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is doing "Wet your Palate Wednesdays"

select bottles of wine for $25 a bottle! Some of it is a steal for $25. Open 4:30-9pm

[PaoPao]

Most of my recent dining has been covered elsewhere (the Drucker dinner in Richmond--thanks again, canucklehead, for putting that together! and Ezogiku ramen earlier in the week with Moosh and Junior Mouse ). I have been on a budget kick, actually even bringing my lunch to work 3 out of 4 days last week--unheard of! so there haven't been a lot of other meals to talk about.

Yesterday, though, my Mum came to town, so we went out. I was astonishingly indecisive about where to go. I had a 7:30 show at Richard's so wanted an early meal, and wanted really to be nearby...I looked at some prix-fixe menus around, and looked in my "Embarrassing Admissions" entries to see some of the places I hadn't been to that I ought to have been to, and looked at some more menus, and just couldn't make up my mind and didn't want to get all dressed up to then dress down for my show. Long story long () we ended up sneaking into the HSG  for an early bite.

We had a budget bottle of Quail's Gate 2003 Old Vines Foch, not my very favourite, but I could drink it again. Especially for the price ($45). I had gone in there intending to have maybe two appetizers, didn't want to eat too much. Then I looked at the fresh sheet, and the immortal words Surf & Turf looked back at me. Sirloin, Dungeness Crab...aaaaahhhh. So that's what I had. I ended up with a steak I would have had trouble finishing at the best of times, and half of a crab that was more than I could finish on its own! Whoa! Lovely lovely crab, I've been on this total crab kick lately. And to start, my mum and shared the crabcake She had her usual sirloin and Caesar.

For dessert, divergence! I had the GBP, it had been too long. Mummy had the special huckleberry crème brûlée. And a GBP to go which she demolished for breakfast this morning. And I brought home most of my steak and the best crab leg of the bunch, with the claw

Thanks for another delicious meal, Neil!

←

Have to say that HSG is an oasis in the sea of Yaletown Uber hangouts. Last night after dinner with a freinds birthday party the only place we could think of within walking distance was HSG for some comfy atmosphere and good food. Service was Stellar, drinks hit the spot, and the desserts we're nothing short of on the mark. Thanks again Barret and Neil....

[*Deborah*]

Ugh, at the risk of boring you to tears, I have to report yet aNOTHer excellent dinner at...Parkside.

(I picked my dad up at the airport this afternoon, offered him some options, and he said "Well, of course, Parkside is only my favourite restaurant on the planet!" Who am I to complain?)

Sooooooo good. I was looking at the menu and wine list etc. before we left the house (between doing my hair and dressing, actually--I am so easily sidetracked). Came across this Ch Clarke Edmond de Rothschild Listrac-Médoc 2000. Looked it up online, looked it up in my Hugh Johnson, and discussed the possibility with my dad en route to the restaurant: Mummy and I had had a budget bottle last night, after all. Wine: check.

We arrive, we settle in, Garolsteiner, Charles (oh, sure, I somehow thought his name was Chris, and it's not. I apologize for bollocksing that up for such a long time, and after all the lovely cocktails you have mixed me. ) made me a lovely little Pisco Sour, and two teeny-weeny ones for the parental units to get a taste (they had had a cocktail back at the ranch, when I was getting ready/researching the menu--I had to catch up!). The Chateau Clarke was decanted, very nice, less of a whack over the head than I often drink, but you know, I suppose the odd Bordeaux now and then won't really kill me. I need to branch out, too: seldom are Pauillacs in my budget.

We order our starters: heirloom tomato salad with grilled radicchio and 20 y o balsamic for my dad, spinach and ricotta tart with some sort of artichoke salad for my mum, and (can you guess?) parfait de foie gras for yours truly. Served with these gorgeous toasted slices of brioche, warm, tender yet gently crisped on the outside, out of this world. Tried unsuccessfully to get my dad to try; he just doesn't understand that it has NOTHING to do with liver.

For mains, my dad had the pan-roasted sole with citrus sauce and veggies, which he ate everything except most of the potatoes (he tries to follow the Zone diet to keep his cholesterol in check, so seldom eats his starch, much as he loves it). My mother begged an order of suckling pig out of the Johnny Depp Waiter (more on this later), it was a big seller the night before, and had been removed from the menu. I shocked all present by having the medallions of veal with a beautiful cognac sauce, chanterelles, and porcini papardelle rather than the duck grande-mère. That veal...so juicy, flavourful. And the herby sauce. Le sigh. A thing of beauty.

My mother snagged the last of the wine, so I had a glass of Banyuls with my dessert. We were brought a little intermezzo of the sorbet crème fraîche with the sour cherries from the warm chocolate cake hiding beneath....wow wow wow. Sometimes I feel that trying to cook if one is not Andrey Durbach is simply futile. (ETA: not to cast aspersions at other excellent chefs, just directed at me!)

Our proper desserts followed: Mummy had the tarte fine of plum and almond, with eau-de-vie ice cream. I was desperately distracted by my assiette de caramel though: left to right: dulce de leche pudding with...was that Mascarpone on top? it seemed richer than mere cream; maple walnut caramel ice cream with...something that I am forgetting and chocolate sauce beneath; and two little biscuits sablés avec une crème lá-dedans...sort of a caramel mousse? and a dollop of dulce de leche (the thick stuff) on top. The JDW walks by to check if I'm alright...This is indecent, it's so good, I manage to mumble. Ye gods! I know my description is incomplete...all I can say is that if you have the opportunity to try it, do so.

I will have to forego lunch tomorrow in order to do justice to the lovely Aurora dinner tomorrow, I fear! but holy cow, it's worth it!

So after the bill is done, we're about on our way, I say to the JDW, you know that you have been immortalized as "the Johnny Depp Waiter," don't you? (this is based on the fact that he knew it was my birthday last time I was there, although we hadn't said anything--I figured they were eGullet lurkers). He said, yes, he did. He didn't seem to mind much (well, what's to mind? ) but I would like to clarify that his name is Michel, and he's damn good at his job. And he has cut off his long locks, so has less of a resemblance to Jack Sparrow than previously.

(I have to add that I constantly give people nicknames when I don't know their actual names, although most of them haven't made it into my eG posts. So sorry Michel! henceforward I'll remember your actual name. )

Whew! that's it for me for tonight.

Edited September 12, 2005 by *Deborah* (log)

[Daddy-A]

Very little fancy dining over the past couple weeks. 2 weeks ago we were on Mayne Island with the kids. We did have a decent dinner at the Mayne Inn (Brentwood Bay), and a couple lackluster breakfasts courtesy of BC Ferries.

Last week J & I were in the Okanagan touring the wineries. I'm slowly posting about it HERE.

Highlights: a tomato/boconcini salad at the Cobblestone Wine Bar at the Naramata Inn, a burger at the Camp Creek Station Pub in Naramata, and an AMAZING lunch on the patio at The Sonora Room at Burrowing Owl (which included a glass of their '02 Chard ). The only thing that would have made the Sonora room better would have been if the crews working on the new B&B took the afternoon off. The pool sure looks like its going to be nice!

A.

[mamacat]

Another great breakfast at Seb's last week (next time I WILL get past the banana bread french toast!). Going down a few notches, a quick business trip to the Island necessitated a BC Ferries breakfast a few days later. Is it just me and my often antiquated ideas about how much things should cost or is ferry food awfully expensive (in addition to being institutional to the N'th degree)? If the airport can serve up tasty food at reasonable prices, why can't BC Ferries? But I digress...lunch in Duncan at a little place called The Barnacle. It seems to be popular with the locals and everyone who walked in while I was there appeared to be a regular. I had a home made vegetable soup that was quite tasty and my colleague accompanied his soup with cheese toast that looked quite good...not greasy and toasted to perfection. Last night Snacky-cat and I had a yen for glass of wine and a snack so we wandered over to the HSG where we indulged in some Yalumba viognier, carpaccio and, of course, GBP. While we there Chef Neil gave us a sneak peek at one of the dishes he will be serving up during Taste of Yaletown...a yummy cauliflower soup with a hint of white truffle oil (we were assured it was not the truffle oil spilled the night before!!). The soup was wonderful. It was not pureed to death but rather had a bit of texture and the flavour kick from the truffle oil was delightful. If that dish is indicative of the food treats in store for us all at Taste of Yaletown, bring it on!!

[foodiluvm]

Last few weekends:

Glowbal

Nu

Coast

Its been years Glowbal still tops my fav restaurant list. I have been fortunate each and everytime with awesome service. We went there day 1 when they opened and have been regulars ever since. Even during the budget-friendly Dine Out Vancouver, Glowbal impressed with food quality and service. It was not rushed service ala many other places during dine out season. A definite choice for my birthday and our anniversary. Also top of our list for a place for Sunday brunch before or after spa. Recently fell in love with their duck salad and lamb satay which I can't get enough of. Afterglow (lounge part of Glowbal) totally cool place to hang out, people watch and down a few wicked potent martinis. My last birthday dinner there, the matrie'd gave us this wonderful quiet table above the steps so we were away from the fun but rowdy staggette going near the bar. That night, the lamb special impressed me to no end. I heart Glowbal. Even more so that their sister restaurant Coast really....although Coast do have this Louisiana Snapper that is simply to die for. Yum!

[tarteausucre]

I'm actually trying to remember the last time I ate a home cooked meal. I think my waistline is telling me that it was quite a long time ago. The last three dining experiences were at:

The Modern Club on Dunbar : Amazingly, I only discovered recently that the Modern Club was a Japanese restaurant. I had driven by it numerous times and wondered what kind of food they served. I finally went there and was pleased overall. My friend and I shared miso soup, mackerel sashimi, ebi avocado spring rolls, a salmon maki, mixed tempura, and one of their famous okonomiyaki ("modern" pork yakisoba pancake). Loved all of the dishes especially the latter. The service was a little uneven; our server's English was quite poor so there was a mix-up with one of our dishes. Also, the food took a fair while to get to us. However, other than these minor quibbles, I thought it was a charming neighbourhood restaurant. The decor was endearing in a cozy sort of way.

Circolo: I dined here for my birthday dinner. It's been a while since I've been to Circolo. The meal was enjoyable although I have to say that I think their entrees are a little overpriced compared to other recent dining experiences. I had their seared arctic char with potato pancakes and lobster foam. Fairly expertly cooked as evidenced by the fact that I licked my plate clean. I finished the meal with a chocolate souffle with grand marnier icecream. Once again solid, although not out of this world. The restaurant was fairly busy with mostly older diners - I've always wondered how it does since it gets little mention on this forum. The pianist was in fine form with such classic standards as Moon River and Yesterday

Nu: And last but not least, I finally went to Nu. I have to admit that at first I was not overly impressed since we too had to wait a considerable time for our reserved table to open up and it was awkward waiting in the lounge area. I also felt some ambivalence over the decor - I wanted to like it since it was a sincere attempt to be Nu in a "nostalgic postmodern" sort of way and differentiate itself from all the other uber-modern places out there but I'm still not sure whether its impact was entirely pleasing. Plus, I found the seats to be bit of a practical inconvenience. They were very heavy to move and they were quite uncomfortable given that I couldn't lean back in them.

All that being said, my dinner at Nu was one of the best I've had in a very long time and would most definitely return. The recent media reviews were bang on. The food lifted itself above the ordinary - poetic culinary simplicity. I had the scallop ceviche as well as the salmon mosaic with asparagus in shallot butter. Perfection.

Also, the restaurant entirely redeemed itself with its stellar during-dinner service. Our server was a genuinely caring, attentive, and unfailingly helpful individual. He was obviously very passionate about what he was doing and where he was doing it. I forgave the initial wait since the restaurant treated us with such grace and attention once we were seated.

That's all for now, sorry for the length!

[Bubbalicious]

Been planning on adding to this thread for a little over a week, and every time I eat somewhere I think about how what was my third experience that I intended to write about has now become my fourth and is now ineligible for this thread. Just to warn you, I'm gonna take some liberties and write about five or six of my last food experiences. So in reverse chronological order:

Finished work way too late last night and hadn't had a morsel of food since before five. Nine hours no food. Stomach was empty and I was hungry. My last table left a third of a bottle of Dom '96,(whoopee!) and having guzzled that while I was cashing out, (and a martini that one of my other tables thoughtfully bought for me,) I was a little looped. And famished. Leaving the restaurant after 2 and now on the corner of Seymour and Dunsmuir my food options were pretty limited. Tim Horton's was open, close and the young ladies working there were genuinely friendly the first time I was there. So I bit the bullet and crossed the street to Timmies. They made me a great toasted turkey, ham and bacon sub. On white. Mmmm. I also picked up a pecan butter tart and a couple of smiley face cookies. All of this was surprisingly good. Cookies were moist and pliable with just enough verging on way too much icing sugar. All of the above did the job and am happy to report that I did not die of hunger as I had feared, but am at the keyboard this afternoon alive and slightly fuzzy-headed. The second cookie that I gave to my roommate is sitting on the counter wrapped in plastic and temptin me.

Thursday a bunch of us went for a drunken messy dinner at Aurora Bistro. Wow. We sat down and I was blown away by the little leaflet tucked into the wooden menu board. 45 bucks for a 3 course dinner with paired wines. Five of us bought in and the team at Aurora graciously made the necessary changes for the two non-meat-eaters at the table. We also had two portions of the other appetizers for little nibblies before dinner. And a bottle of bubbly and a bottle of viognier and too many martinis.

The Warm Hazelnut Crusted Goat Cheese with a rhubarb compote and Ruth's baby arugula was fantastic. We loved the Smoked Wild Salmon Creme Fraiche Cheesecake and the Nicola Bison Carpaccio. The chef had also prepared a Halibut Cheek appetizer as a special which none of us liked. Stringy and overcooked. Being a prairie-boy this was my first experience.

Don't want to turn this into a novella so I will simply tell you that the prix-fixe menu items were all delicious. Graciously served and well-timed. I pulled a Ling and ordered a second main course: the duck breast and duck leg confit, which was my favorite dish of the evening.

Earlier that day I had my first lunch at the Normandy. It was a day off and I had spent the early afternoon leafing through cookbooks at Chapters at Broadway and Granville. Feeling nostalgic and a little homesick I felt like having a Hot Turkey Sandwhich. One of my biggest treats when I was a kid was to go to the cafeteria at Eaton's in the Midtown Plaza and enjoy a HTS. The Normandy didn't let me down. Had a beer, the chicken fingers appetizer and then the HTS. Everything that arrived at the table had been previously frozen, had come from a can or had been pre-formed. Exactly like the food of my childhood. Service was friendly and efficient too.

OK. This is way too long. So I will knock my reporting to three events and leave a few out. Last week after work five of us went to Bin 941 after work. It was Monday and it had been a lucrative weekend so we were feeling like free-spending millionaires. Started with a bottle of Moet and moved onto a delicious Biscofliche Auslese Riesling from Ayler Kupp. Both reasonably priced and excellent.

We had multiple orders of the mussels with coconut milk, the ahi tuna with a spicy tuna tartare as a salsa, the slow roasted elk, the duck breast with goat cheese and truffled green beans, the beef wellington and the crab cakes. And four or five orders of their Navajo bread. The change-over of the staff in the kitchen hasn't effected the food quality. Once an item came out and one of had a bite we ordered it again. If the second stomach that I mail-ordered had arrived that day, I could have spent all that I made that weekend. Service was a touch harried, but we got the impression that our server was new to Bin, so we didn't mind. All that mattered was our glasses were never empty and the plates kept coming. Our server kept up with the share plates and cutlery changes too. If I had been the waiter I woulda given up and let these five drunk and obnoxious boors to eat with cutlery that was dirty.

All right that's three. or was that four? Head too fuzzy and now I'm gonna go eat that cookie.

[Ling]

Last Friday

Met my date for dinner, but he had been doing errands all day and was wearing a t-shirt and shorts so we had to go somewhere casual. We wound up at Ouisi Bistro, because I haven't had Cajun food before. I ordered a large sampler plate with Jerk chicken, "Gator Bite" (gator meat with Cajun tartar) and crab cakes. The jerk chicken was quite tasty. I enjoyed the seasoning, but I can't say whether this was a good example of jerk chicken since I have nothing to compare it to. The gator meat was really different--it had a slightly fishy taste/smell, but had the springy texture of clams. It was loaded with the "Cajun tartar", a pinkish mayo-based sauce. My date loved the gator meat. The crab cakes were pretty average--lots of filler, not a lot of crab. The dish came with an interesting salsa--I believe it was a pineapple salsa that was heavy on the lime juice, but I don't quite remember. My date had Pacific Seafood Trio, which had black sesame seed crusted Digby scallops, blackened salmon, and prawns in a creamy, tropical-tasting sauce. I didn't enjoy the blackened salmon very much, because it was very dry. We also drank a bottle of the Joie Year One Chardonnay, and he made us individual molten chocolate cake at his place for dessert, with minimal help from me. (Says date: "Wow...you inhaled that thing so fast!" err...heh heh )

Last Monday

Dinner at Aurora Bistro, which has been discussed already. Wonderful dinner. I'm still thinking about that duck confit.

During the week, I had a few boring lunches here and there at school...nothing worth mentioning. Well except that the date bars at The Deli are still my favourite things to eat on campus.

Tonight

Take-out hainanese chicken and coconut beef curry from Deer Garden in Richmond. Appetizers were the Portuguese tarts from Michele's. And dessert will be the pan of brownies I just pulled from the oven.

Edited September 20, 2005 by Ling (log)