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Feenie's?


chopper

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The "Lumière" web site mentions something about the new place being all about canadian cuisine; it would seem to me, after dining at the restaurant, that this is what Chef Feenie already does, all be it in a "High end" way.

How would one refer to "canadian" brasserie cooking: Hamhocks, pigs knuckles and pickled eggs ? It seems difficult to avoid the classic brasserie dishes as devised by the french, not that there's anything wrong with that...

Michel

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Boleto closed down about 3-4 months ago. The fact that Lumiere is moving in doesn't surprise me. I was thinking about that last time I was there at both places.

The web site mentions "Canadian ingredients", not "cuisine", although it says this is about Canadian cooking.

It will open around early June and it will be a more casual type than the one next door, but same style.

My next guess is that they'll close down the bar area of the existing Lumiere and make it a bigger formal dining place since the one next door will be casual. I think you could compare it to DB bistro vs. Daniel.

"I hate people who are not serious about their meals." Oscar Wilde

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Now that you mention it, moving the bar scene next door would make sense; the formal dining room would then be more spacious, maybe the kitchen could use up some of the new space.

They don't seem to have tons of room back there, from what I saw...

Michel

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Well I hope they work on the wine list because Lumiere has, perhaps, the worst list and pricing I have seen in Vancouver. It's almost as though they are punishing you for wanting wine with your meal. The bastards. Good food though.

slowfood/slowwine

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I doubt there will be many people lamenting the closing of Boleto. It was first opened by the owners of Ecco il Panne. I found the food to be mediocre and the servers and owner Pamela G. to be very snooty. Obviously they were on this earth to serve a higher purpose than feeding moi.

On a related note does anyone know if Ecco il Panne also closed thier other location? I hear the owners divorced and were closing everything except the wholesale business.

David Cooper

"I'm no friggin genius". Rob Dibble

http://www.starlinebyirion.com/

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I doubt there will be many people lamenting the closing of Boleto. It was first opened by the owners of Ecco il Panne. I found the food to be mediocre and the servers and owner Pamela G. to be very snooty. Obviously they were on this earth to serve a higher purpose than feeding moi.

On a related note does anyone know if Ecco il Panne also closed thier other location? I hear the owners divorced and were closing everything except the wholesale business.

They closed the location on 5th, but the one in PC is still open.

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T said >>

[ Well I hope they work on the wine list because Lumiere has, perhaps, the worst list and pricing I have seen in Vancouver. It's almost as though they are punishing you for wanting wine with your meal. The bastards. Good food though. ]

Hey T what do you mean by this. Is it overpriced or just beyond your pocketbook ?

I was there the other night and found there list to be amongst the most exciting in the city.

The list is expensive, but if you want vintage Bordeaux, Burgundy or Napa Cabs you gotta pay.

So they don't have an extensive selection of low end wines, however the low end wines are priced just like every other wine list in the city.

ie Primitivo del Manduria by Piccherri, retail $29, they have it for $60.

Chateaux du Cray, Montagny retail $32, $64 at the bar.

Standard stuff for Vancouver.

Note::

International had a bottle of 82 Mouton-Rothschild for $1400, its $1500 a Lumiere, that seems a good price.

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I agree that the list at a place like Lumiere should favor the high end. I believe that a large number of the guests in the room are there for a food and wine experience or are on an expense account. There is also a fair number who think that the price of the wine or it's provenance are the thing. That being said I also think there are a fair number of people who need to consider the price/quality ratio. I fall into that category. a list could show some imagination in this respect.

ae35, I have collected and drank wine for over 20 years now, have a good job, have a wife with a better job and also lived and was schooled in the highest income "hood" in Canada, but I like T also find the price of some of the grape juice on your boy Feenies list to be out of hand.

A fine list in MHO should show imagination and fiscal responsibility. It's great that you only drink Bordeaux, Burgundy and Napa Cabs, but what of the other great wines that don't have the cache of the wines you mentioned. Like Sassacaia, Chateau du Beaucastel, Domaine Tempier, Ridge Monte Bello, Hecula, Ruffino Gold Label, Grange Hermitage, or the wines of Villa Montes?

BTW $1400 for 82 Mouton does seem insane. I would rather drink "Cos" a better wine in 82 and in most vintages.

David Cooper

"I'm no friggin genius". Rob Dibble

http://www.starlinebyirion.com/

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I just noticed Lumiere is now one of the sponsers for a road cycling team.

I take back anything negative I have ever said about Lumiere. Anyone who backs cycling is OK by me.

slowfood/slowwine

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Hey Coop,

They got Monte Bello, vintage stuff from mids 70's,

Grange 82,

Beaucastel in both red and white, can't remeber the vintage but it wasn't old,

85 Sassacaia,

As for Chiantis, I don't think their sommelier likes them too much, there was only 1.

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There is no sense being defensive about Lumiere's wine list.

This isn't the first time I am reading this issue here, and have been to Lumiere 3 times and was challenged and disapointed every single time re: wine choices.

If that's not enough feedback for somebody at Lumiere to notice and acknowledge this, then am not sure what might be more efficient to give them the message.

Yes, there are some good choices; but there are some really obscure, unimaginative, bad and overpriced ones as well. If they feel so strongly about this, they should have the sommelier be on the floor defending his list and explaining it to us, then.

Ae35- do you work for Lumiere or are close to them?

"I hate people who are not serious about their meals." Oscar Wilde

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My understanding is that the dining room at Lumiere will not expand into the bar area (yet). The fact that the bar at Lumiere is so incredibly popular has changed much of what the original intention of that space was to be. I believe the intention was to have a small elegant space in which to enjoy a cocktail, an appetizer and a chat with friends or associates before going into the dining room to really enjoy the food and wine.

The success of the bar has taken away from the ideal of an area to start relaxing before dining. Many additions were placed in the menu for the bar that were intended for dining room and it is always packed. This in itself is not bad thing, thus the recognition of something that works and finding a place to accomodate it and still give the diners at Lumiere the full experience of the bar and dining room.

It will be very interesting to see how this plays out over time. Before there was only one door to go to when you wanted Rob Feenie's creations, now you will have two completely, physically seperate entities to choose from. Will one suffer due to the other? Only time will tell. They have June marked as opening time but with any knowledge whatsoever in building a restaurant, I suggest an opening in mid July more realistic.

"Expect nothing, be prepared for anything."

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  • 3 months later...

The web site used to say July 12, was changed to July 15. I called and they said end of July. I drove by there, and the Boleto sign is still on the window.

Who has the latest scoop on the opening date?

"I hate people who are not serious about their meals." Oscar Wilde

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I'll definitely miss the bread at Boleto. Chris Brown, the baker, is really talented and the massive stone oven at Boleto is/was one of the most magnificent things I've ever seen. I now feel doubly bad that I was unable to sell my Boleto/Chris Brown profile story to Saveur. I pitched it hard, he even sent bread to New York for the editors to try, but the proposal never made it through. I hope it wouldn't have made a difference. I wonder where he's at now.

Were I in Feenie's shoes, I'd turn the Boleto space into a serious high-end gourmet market (there are too few in Vancouver) plus a small all-day food-service operation ala Tom Colicchio's 'wichcraft.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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City Food says Chris Brown is selling bread on Wednesdays at the East Vancouver farmers market. I went to Boleto once years ago and found the food to be a tad too rustic. However this guy knows his way around the bread oven. I believe he and his ex wife started ecco il panne. Thier quality seems to have dropped since thier split.

David Cooper

"I'm no friggin genius". Rob Dibble

http://www.starlinebyirion.com/

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Maybe this should become a new thread on Feenie's.

Feenie's had an opening for the press this Monday July 21st, and they are open this week "quietly".

We'll check the local papers tomorrow to see what the reviews say. I am going there this Saturday.

See you at Feenie's!

"I hate people who are not serious about their meals." Oscar Wilde

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