Bourdain Coming to Vancouver

[Edible Vancouver]

That would be the Mrs. who is the bottomless pit!

PS...Are there any leftovers...I'm hungry again!

We need to change your name to MrBottomlessPit!

A.

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[Shellback]

A big thanks to Arne, Jamie, Neil and Brian for putting together a fantastic event.  We had such a great time last night and it was really nice to finally meet you all in person.  Thanks to peppyre and Chef Metcalf for getting the pics up so quickly.  Quite inpressive considering the vast quantities of wine that were consumed last night.

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Ditto! Ditto!

Amazing food, great company - what an unforgettable evening! Special thanks to Arne, Jamie, Neil, Brian and all in attendance for making it happen. I had so much fun and look forward to seeing you all again soon!

[Foodie in Vancouver]

An event with as much build-up as this had runs a considerable risk of not being able to meet expectations. The Big Night, however, exceeded our expectations - it really was one of those "You had to be there" nights. Tony was larger than life and such a gracious man - he hugely exceeded my expectations not to mention how drop-dead gorgeous he is - Mooshmouse was definitely onto something). But as much as he was the reason for the Big Night, in the end it was only marginally about him. It was us. I caught myself looking about the room on several occasions, marvelling at the animated conversation and sheer enjoyment evident on everyone's faces. Who would have thought that the vast majority of us had never meet previously AND that many people in the room were tag-along spouses, partners and friends? Thanks to my dear husband who joined us and had a wonderful time.

And then there was the food- that which brings us together. Others have already ventured into that dangerous territory of what was your favorite. So I will try and narrow it down - Canapes -the stuffed fingerling potatoes if only because it was a combination I would never have thought of but also because it was delicious; Appetizers - the short-ribs even though I hid around the corner to eat them and still ended up with sauce on my chin! Thanks so much to whoever it was that was kind enough to tell me.

For Mains I had the Cioppino and was thrilled. Lusty sauce and just the right amount of food for someone who had helped herself liberally to the appetizers. Standout job by Brian and Neil.

I did notice, however, that the recipe book does not contain the Gingerbread Pudding recipe. A conspiracy? Or perhaps they will put the recipe in the next silent auction? Or maybe I need an upgrade for my decoder ring?

Speaking of silent auction - I purchased the Chocolate Arts boxes, ostensibly for gifts, but have been eyeing them with increasing lust all weekend. Thanks to everyone who contributed to such great treats and experiences.

Yes, there is no doubt, we must do another event - you are all so wonderful and so much fun to be with. The only trick is whether we can do something without a large venue which might make it more difficult to arrange.

So, many, many thanks to all. Arne for being the catalyst and a true bon vivant, Jamie for being such a fanatical and superb proponent of good food and local excellence, Brian and Neil for their extraordinary talents with food and not least - to all of you - my dear friends in food and good tastes. Cheers!

[nwyles]

The gingerbread recipe is always available to anyone who asks - I give it out about 40 times a year and is posted online at a few different places but nothing compares to coming to the HSG and having that as the dessert. Could imagine the temptation of having a full pan of that in your fridge calling you at all times - best to have it in small doses.

I posted yesterday and it had some profanity - please forgive me, I do not want to get a PM from a forum moderator or anything but it was a direct quote.

Bottom line

BRIAN FOWKE IS A LEGEND !

and we know him - how cool is that

[Daddy-A]

I posted yesterday and it had some profanity - please forgive me, I do not want to get a PM from a forum moderator or anything but it was a direct quote.

I'm tough, but I'm fair

BRIAN FOWKE IS A LEGEND !

and we know him - how cool is that 

You have no idea how much of a buzz I still have about that. Bourdain is all about you guys in the kitchen. I think Chef Fowke needs a new sig line:

"Holy fuck, You're "Chef Fowke" ! Man, you are a fucking legend". Jesus Christ, nice to meet you!" - Tony Bourdain - Nov 5, 2004

A.

[Ling]

Chef Neil, if the gingerbread recipe is available, could you post it here for us please? And what was that tan-colored ice-cream that was served with it? Cinnamon ice-cream? It was really good! I guess I'll have to come into HSG to have the ice-cream again, since I don't have an ice-cream maker.

[Chef Fowke]

Lots of really nice things being said, thank you.

More importantly the night was a huge success on many levels:

-we all got to put faces to names

-a precedent has been set for future events

-AB showed, and was a hit

-And most importantly we raised a lot of money for a charity close to my heart!

I always have time (free/donated) for worthy charities, never hesitate to ask. Giving back to an industry that has been so good to me is a pleasure.

When/What next?

[Mooshmouse]

An event with as much build-up as this had runs a considerable risk of not being able to meet expectations. The Big Night, however, exceeded our expectations - it really was one of those "You had to be there" nights. Tony was larger than life and such a gracious man - he hugely exceeded my expectations not to mention how drop-dead gorgeous he is - Mooshmouse was definitely onto something). But as much as he was the reason for the Big Night, in the end it was only marginally about him. It was us. I caught myself looking about the room on several occasions, marvelling at the animated conversation and sheer enjoyment evident on everyone's faces. Who would have thought that the vast majority of us had never meet previously AND that many people in the room were tag-along spouses, partners and friends?

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Foodie, you and Neil hit the nail right on the head.

Oh, what a night! A room full of “strangers” who parted as friends… well-fed and well-watered friends at that. Stealing a snog from Bourdain… well, two on a dare, but who’s counting. Watching everyone melt at their first taste of warm gingerbread bliss and knowing that you're all just as hooked as I am now. Pouring white wine on another woman’s breast… but, hey, I did manage to get those red-wine stains out of peppyre’s shirt. And copious quantities of water went a long way on the morning after the night before.

As far as my kiss from Bourdain, it was phoodfan's SO who put me up to that. Foodie, Mrs. Daddy-A, butter and her SO quickly jumped on the "I dare you to do it" bandwagon. And Ian, well, he just wouldn't have expected anything less. It'll make a great story for the grandkids... mind you, only if they end up being foodies too. Now, if I could only get a picture of that. Surely someone was snapping away...

Neil, Brian, Arne and Jamie: outstanding. Truly outstanding. Thank you from the bottom of my food-and-wine-loving heart. You’ve certainly set quite a high standard for future Vancouver e-Gullet events to come. (I was going to say "raised the bar" but that would just imply even more drinking... not that there's anything wrong with that, of course.) My fellow e-Gulleters: what a treat it was to put faces to nicknames at last. You all made my night (Ian's too), and I can't wait until our next get-together to chat with those of you that I missed on Friday.

See you at the cookie exchange!

Joie

[Mooshmouse]

And what was that tan-colored ice-cream that was served with it? Cinnamon ice-cream?

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The white gelato is ginger, and the tan gelato is pumpkin... my favourite.

Take a deep breath and repeat after me. My name is ________ and I am a gingerbread addict...

[Chef Fowke]

As promised I am posting the photos from the kitchen side of the night.

Cooler ready for the night:

The Busy BUZZ before everyone arrives:

Prep Work on the Canapes:

Neil Working:

What Neil really looks like when he works!!!

The Panic as the stream of people enter the restaurant for the event!

Neil barks out the final orders and gets the brigade to work:

Quang (Diva at the Met) Volunteered his time and worked the canapes:

Quang on Quennelles (...are quenelles still 'current'?)

Smoked Tuna with a tomato and apple chutney:

Ready, time to serve the food:

The Guest enter the private dining room:

The room!

The night begins with the Presentation:

Thanks for the night, Neil...it was great to help out in your kitchen! You got a good thing going there.

[peppyre]

Just to let everyone know, as a follow up to Friday evening, Tony Bourdain is on Shaw cable channel 4? right now. Pretty decent interview so far.

[Jerry_A]

A couple of quick-hit thoughts on this past Friday:

1. It was great to meet a lot of new faces and to get reacquainted with some of the old. Special thanks to Arne, Chef Neil, and Chef Fowke.

2. The food was fantastic overall with the tuna, the rillettes, and the pastrami in particular making my stomach do a happy dance. Next time I have a 3 week window of time available I may give the pastrami a shot, or maybe Chef Fowke will just open a place where I can buy some (please!!).

3. Special mention to the gingerbread pudding as I had forgotten how delicious it was.

4. Anthony Bourdain, what else is there to say except this: he is much cooler than Erik Estrada, having met Mr. Estrada several years ago I can firmly attest to this.

5.

Is Jerry_A smoking a doobie or eating short ribs in the 3rd picture? 

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ummm, no comment.

Cheers.

[Redhead]

WOW! I'd purposely been avoiding this thread ever since I first checked my calender lo these many months ago and realized I couldn't pull a rabbit out of hat and magically appear in two places at once. I would take the e-Gullet crew and a few minutes with Tony B. over a family birthdayparty almost any day.... only the sad, sweet faces of my offspring would haunt me forever.....

Glad a fantastic time was had by all! Thanks for photos and the menu description.

Shucks, someone got to kiss AB not once but twice????

Did someone say shortribs?

Dang, I missed it!

[Coop]

I'm a bit late posting my thanks to all that arranged Friday night. Chef Fowke, Chef Neil, Jamie and Arne, one never knows what to expect at such an event. This one certainly exceeded all of my expectaions. A special thanks has to go out to Neil and his staff at The Hamilton Street Grill for keeping us all lubricated. i can't wait for the next soiree.

[Ling]

Here is a pic of Tony Bourdain and me at Elixir. Excuse my cheesy smile--I was so excited :

http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/10999385..._1099982290.jpg

Edited November 9, 2004 by Ling (log)

[Daddy-A]

Here is a pic of Tony Bourdain and me at Elixir. Excuse my cheesy smile--I was so excited  :

http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/10999385..._1099982290.jpg

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Is cheesey the new hip way of saying beautiful?? Great picture Ling! Perhaps a new avatar for you?

A.

Edited November 9, 2004 by Daddy-A (log)

[Coop]

Being Bourdain can't suck.

[Ling]

I wish I could make it my avatar, but when I make the picture so small, you can't really see what's going on.

[Chef Fowke]

I wish I could make it my avatar, but when I make the picture so small, you can't really see what's going on.

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email the 'real/full/photo' to me...I will pass it on to my IT guy, he will convert it for you! That picture is way to good to let go!

[Ling]

can you pm me your email addy?

[jamiemaw]

In the myriad thank yous posted since last weekend, I see I forgot two cheerful souls who put up with us and really tied the night together--our dear servers J.L. (sp?) and Andrew. Many thanks to you both from all of us.

J.

[Daddy-A]

Anybody check out The Straight today? Read Full Article Here

10:20 P.M. Dinner! Hosted by Hamilton Street Grill owner-chef Neil Wyles are dozens of local members of eGullet, an international on-line group devoted to food. (Menu and reports on-line at forums.egullet.org/index.php?show

topic=48066.) Bourdain is swarmed. I switch from vodka to red wine. (Screw the strategy.) Some Vancouver magazine promo video starts up, and we bolt.

Funny, I think the only one who swarmed him was Mooshmouse !

A.

[jamiemaw]

Anybody check out The Straight today? Read Full Article Here

10:20 P.M. Dinner! Hosted by Hamilton Street Grill owner-chef Neil Wyles are dozens of local members of eGullet, an international on-line group devoted to food. (Menu and reports on-line at forums.egullet.org/index.php?show

topic=48066.) Bourdain is swarmed. I switch from vodka to red wine. (Screw the strategy.) Some Vancouver magazine promo video starts up, and we bolt.

Funny, I think the only one who swarmed him was Mooshmouse !

A.

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Swarmed? And I thought he was just eating dinner--a rather attractive steak, compliments of Neil as I recall. Methinks the writer, John Burns, the Straight and Narrow's book editor, elected to simplify then exaggerate.

What a shame that Burns was so dismissive of Ben Reeder's nifty video that took many weeks to compile and edit. Although we fronted the production money, it's Ben's work and I think it really grabs the essence and hard work involved in the chefly arts. Ditto bartending. And far from bolting, Tony Bourdain very graciously chatted with Ben afterward and asked him for his contact points. He seemed quite impressed.

Maybe we should simply chalk up the slipshod reporting to trying to keep up with Bourdain. I mean, did a vegetarian librarian really stand a chance? After all, writing when you've been drinking is an, ahem, dodgy exercise.

Edited November 11, 2004 by jamiemaw (log)

[Coop]

Of course Mr Burns can look down his nose at us. After all he does write for the Newspaper that has the most comprehensive listing of transgendered escorts, massage parlours, phone sex lines and fetish providers. I would pay money to see the kind of movie they would come up with. BTW I usually read it at least once a month. Got to keep up with the vibe of the city.

[peppyre]

OK, I have to ask...Who was that guy? The video was brilliant, and I don't recall anyone "bolting". Well, I guess that's what happens when you take a vegetarian to a steak house.