Bourdain Coming to Vancouver

[Coop]

I have secured my tickets for the Opus event and will be attending with my oldest son. For all you people that have critiqued my restaurant recs,and accused me of being on the take, you can now do it in person.

[Daddy-A]

I have secured my tickets for the Opus event and will be attending with my oldest son. For all you people that have critiqued my restaurant recs,and accused me of being on the take, you can now do it in person.

Coop too??!! Cool! I'm really starting to gt a little excited about this.

I know .. get a life ...

Chef Fowke ... let's do a head count in September and plan from there.

DA

[little ms foodie]

Hello! This is great information. I was unsure of the exact difference in the 2 events so I just called and spoke to someone about it:

Reception at Opus - 322 Davie Street

Ticketed event

Friday, November 5, 5:00 to 7:00 pm

$95 includes a copy of the book

This includes hordy derves and cocktail in the price

"Les Halles" after hours at Bar None - 1222 Hamilton Street

Ticketed event

Friday, November 5, 8:00 to 10:00 pm

$50 includes a copy of the book

This does not include any cocktails, you can buy them yourself, but your mainly just buying the book.

[jamiemaw]

Coop--welcome home. Clearly the International Conference of Marine Hardware Chandlers took longer than expected. Or was it convened in the Dead Sea again?

While you were away, nothing happened. Nothing at all.

Well, that's not quite true. It is the silly season after all:

1. Unbelievably, Mr. Keith Talent, swallowing his pride (and not a little seawater as it turned out), took the lesser Talents to Hawaii for a holiday. Appears he had discovered that the Harmony Airways all-inc package at the Waikiki Palms Royale ("A Sunny Place for Shady People" as they bill it) was actually cheaper than his pro forma week in Parksville--and no annoying ferry line-ups!) Gosh, the next thing you know he'll be off on a wine-tasting tour in the Okanagan. Knowing him, he'll take the lid from his Nyquil bottle to sample the wines and then complain bitterly that the vintners are cheating his palate. By the way, he gave an almost unilateral thumbs down to neo-Tiki cuisine. But emptying the sand out of his bathing suit raised the municipality of Richmond a helpful half-inch above sea level.

2. It was announced that Anthony Bourdain, the chef and culinary tourist, would be visiting Vancouver to promote his new line of "Les Halles" fine linens, steak knives and assorted hostess ware. But here's a Sophie's Choice for you, an absolute conundrum, a scheduling conflict of monumental proportion: It's the same night as the Judd Nelson Film Festival!

3. According to industry insiders, the editor of an intermittently published tabloid started a fake blogsite (masquerading as young groovy restaurateurs) with the express purpose of slagging her competitors. She was sniffed out in about 40 seconds and the blog disappeared in a puff of ill will. You may recall that she used to post on this site under another (ironic if not clever) fake name. Some called the petite fiasco a tempest in a stock pot while others said it was more of a laughing stock defrocked.

4. During the mid-July heat wave, James Beard appeared in the dreams of several Lower Mainland chefs, fervently admonishing them "to cook local." However one chef (Maurice Belcher-Hay of Horseshoe Bay’s Chez Hay!), who suffers a hearing impediment, thought The Great Man had said

"locals"

Searching Epicurious.com for cannibal recipes of the New Hebrides, he introduced a dish called Blackened Group the next night on his specials card but, not unsurprisingly perhaps, sold only two portions, which, as you know, is several short of a group.

5. Rhonda Greatbatch-Jonker, the fleshily-thighed host of the new reality vegan cooking show, "No Harm, No Fowl" was busted outside the Broadway KFC with a bucket of all white meat under her arm. Busted by no less than intrepid investigative food reporter Ron Canola of the Food Underground Canada Network (FUCN). Canola, who bears an uncanny resemblance to a younger Colonel Sanders but with a damper handshake, apparently startled her by shoving his FUCN microphone in her face. Her flimsy defense: "Research purposes."

6. But in a week of journalistic glory, the courageous and outspoken Canola trumped that by scooping every other food reporter in town with an outstanding recipe for spruce bud worms. He even posted it on his blogsite free of charge! And no secret herbs and spices involved!

7. Ken Kostick, star of Ken Kostick and Company , who occupied the insomniac slot at Rude Food Network Canada, has seemingly had his show cancelled. Or maybe he's merely on summer hiatus. Whatever, graveyard-shift hairdressers and breakfast prep chefs across the country complained bitterly. Network staff are reportedly looking into the matter.

8. A Kerrisdale restaurant, The Sea Lion, specializing in aquatic mammals, opened and then closed quietly.

9. The first bottle of British Columbia non-ice wine to sell for more than $80 a bottle was launched with a splash at the Peachland VQA store. The White Knuckle Ridge Fire King Cellarmaster’s Selection is a meritage of grenache, white zinfandel and pinot nero. But apparently it was all a big mistake. Winery spokesman Niles Flush said, “It was all a big mistake. It’s a case that retails for $80. This is a low-priced, refreshing, consumer-friendly wine aimed at the entry level drinker. It is best served ice-cold or not at all. More sophisticated palates may prefer our K Syrah ($7.95).” Vancouver Sun summer replacement wine columnist Wyng Chow reported it as “having notes of classy raccoon urine and scorched pine resin—this wine is sure to gain dominance in its $6 price niche—hold for drinking until 2018.”

10. Vancouver, the No-Fun City, also reclaimed its lockhold on the title "Politically Correct Capital of the World". The BC Lions football team was assailed by PETA for its use of an animal as its name/mascot/logo etc. Citing this “crime against the animal kingdom, especially the large cat category,” PETA reportedly launched an injunction against the use of the Lion as emblem for the club. What surprised many observers though was how quickly Lions management capitulated. After testing many alternate names in focus groups, management held a press conference announcing the new name, The Vancouver Legumes. The club also debuted their new logo and slogan: “So Much More than a Hill of Beans.” Catchy.

11. F. Morris Chatters resigned abruptly as Communications Director and Celebrity/VIP Host for Skybar Lounge. Although the reasons, delivered tersely in a scant three sentence press release mentioned “personal reasons” it is widely rumoured that the resignation was the result of a rude letter that Chatters had sent to internationally famous food and wine writer Andy Lynes. The letter suggested that Lynes would only be welcomed back on the Skybar premises if he “posted a modest damage deposit” or “wrote a favourable review” of the lounge’s meat leathers and other bar snacks. Lynes was unavailable for comment, but it seems that just one angry overseas call from the influential journalist was all it took to send Chatters packing back to Richmond.

12. Heineken went on sale briefly for $20 per dozen. But with the Provincial Liquor Monopoly’s usual uncanny timing, that was the only day it rained this summer.

13. The Freybe Sausage Company, manufacturers of smoked meats and hockey snacks with a superior shelf life, turned 160.

As I said Coop, nothing happened while you were away. Absolutely nothing at all.

But welcome home anyway,

Jamie

[peppyre]

Thank you Jamie!!! That's exactly what happened last month.

[paul mitchell]

I've decided not to buy tickets but simply crash the bar and order shots of Absinthe and then pull a live cobra out of my backpack, slit it's belly and eat the heart as a chaser.

[paul mitchell]

Hey Jamie.......where are you getting your weed from dude?

[nwyles]

Hey Jamie.......where are you getting your weed from dude?

I do not know where it is coming from but I did have a good laugh at the " food events " of this last month by Mr. Maw. Perhaps a new post can be started with the "events " of August as this is getting a little off topic of the Bourdain visit.

[stovetop]

I've decided not to buy tickets but simply crash the bar and order shots of Absinthe and then pull a live cobra out of my backpack, slit it's belly and eat the heart as a chaser

Paul that sounds like what Jamie’s been doing, maybe feeding those brownies to the snake first then smoking and drinking the blood of the snake then writing august events, it would make sleepy Vancouver very exciting .

steve

[Chef Fowke]

I've decided not to buy tickets but simply crash the bar and order shots of Absinthe and then pull a live cobra out of my backpack, slit it's belly and eat the heart as a chaser

Paul that sounds like what Jamie’s been doing, maybe feeding those brownies to the snake first then smoking and drinking the blood of the snake then writing august events, it would make sleepy Vancouver very exciting .

steve

you can smoke snake? How long do you cure it for....

I will be at Hamilton St Grill that night! I would like to put some faces to these threads. Neil, how many eGulleteers are coming to your restaurant to drink and eat like rockstars on that night? Can I donate anything? Time, product? Cannot wait...Maybe we see Bourdain as well.

[stovetop]

Chef smoke pot first then drink the blood of the snake, not smoke the snake??

steve

[stovetop]

How is your project going Chef Fowke??

Back to this event, I am so there: I too would volenteer any services needed!!

steve

[Chef Fowke]

Neil, why are you an associate member? you are a chef, you own a restaurant...do you not know anyone in the eGullet community?

[Chef Fowke]

How is your project going Chef Fowke??

Back to this event, I am so there: I too would volenteer any services needed!!

steve

Project = very well!

I will post soon, waiting to wrap some details...

[Chef Fowke]

Chef smoke pot first then drink the blood of the snake, not smoke the snake??

steve

Cool! I just remembered who you are....we worked togeather at the Windsor Arms Hotel or the King Edward Hotel...amazing, that was 18 years ago!

[stovetop]

yes!!

that is very cool

how is life?

steve

[jamiemaw]

where are you getting your weed from dude?

Paul Mitchell

President's Choice has long been my preferred supplier.

[nwyles]

Neil, why are you an associate member? you are a chef, you own a restaurant...do you not know anyone in the eGullet community?

Chef Fowke - I stumbled onto this site about a year ago and have not been an active member , just the occasional reader.

Fill me in on the different levels on membership so I can be at the right level and know the secret handshake.

I will pop down to Barbara - Jo's to see if she can fill me in on contact info on how to get in touch with Anthony Bourdain and/or his agent.

Neil

[Mooshmouse]

I will be at Hamilton St Grill that night! I would like to put some faces to these threads. Neil, how many eGulleteers are coming to your restaurant to drink and eat like rockstars on that night?

Due to the politics of babysitting constraints, Hubby Mouse and I may not be able to hit the Opus reception; however, attending an eGullet Canadian culinary adventure at the Hamilton Street Grill is a distinct possibility, especially if Chef Fowke is willing to donate some of his now famous pastrami.

What say you Chef Wyles? It seems that Chef Fowke and Sir Jamie have certainly thrown down the gauntlet for the eGulleteer festivities...

[nwyles]

I am up to providing the venue as I am close enough to the other planned events of the evening. It would be nice to put some faces to the names of all the posts I have been reading. I am a little surprised to see how active Vancouver is on the EGULLET site and always interested and amused at what people are saying about all of the goings on in our fair city. Hopefully we can rally a large group to get together that night and have a good time meeting/eating/drinking and killing smoked snakes !!

Neil

[Daddy-A]

Neil, why are you an associate member? you are a chef, you own a restaurant...do you not know anyone in the eGullet community?

Chef Fowke - I stumbled onto this site about a year ago and have not been an active member , just the occasional reader.

Fill me in on the different levels on membership so I can be at the right level and know the secret handshake.

Neil,

You need to get to 20 or 30 posts before you kick into "member" status. We want to keep out all those wannabees

Any pastrami left? I was trying to get over to see you before I left on vacation, but couldn't (I'm emailing from my father-in-law's in Victoria before we go camping at Rathtrevor... Keith, say a prayer for me!), and won't be back until the 16th.

Let us know if you have any luck with a Bourdain contact from Barabara-Jo.

DA

[nwyles]

So much pastrami , so much temptation.

I found myself having a few snacks each day. Shaved paper thin and stacked mountain high !

I started to feel like Gollum from Lord of the Rings !

" We likes it "

" Don't Shares it "

" Hides it "

" Eats it "

We will start working on another asap. Perhaps two ! I will post an invite to come down and have a snack when it is ready.

Do not delay as it is hard to deny the staff when they see you working on it.

When I get to 20 or 30 posts, they send me the decoder ring , right ? I look forward to the day !!

Neil

[stovetop]

I started to feel like Gollum from Lord of the Rings !

[stovetop]

How fast are tickets selling out and how soon do we need to commit or pay.

I am so there if I can pull things together, it should be a good time of year and should be slow. We seem to have a lot of interest going on here that is a great thing, Also as I said before I would help in any way to get something together.

steve

[jamiemaw]

Here's the deal with Anthony Bourdain, at least as I understand it.

Booksellers now 'bid' with the publisher to host well known/celebrity authors at their stores (typically now with a charitable component as well), although in this case Barabara-jo is obviously using two adjacent venues. Because her tender came with a cost attached, we can be assured that Mr. Bourdain will be signing books and gladhanding at Opus and Bar None at a high rate of knots.

But you will notice that they have allowed an hour of downtime between the events (to scoot upstairs for a cleansing ale and some cobra hearts), and that the latter one is over at 10pm, which would mean an unusually early bedtime for the lad, even if he's in the middle of a 20+ city book tour.

So therein lies the opportunity. Neil, I think you should approach Barbara-jo, invite her to join in the dinner at 10pm, as well as the Raincoast handler and Mr. Bourdain's roadie. Alternatively, perhaps we could price the Fowke/Wyles/Hamilton Street Grill dinner to include a book and ask him to attend at 7pm to kick things off.

Cheers,

Jamie