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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

There's been next to no mention on these boards of another splashy waterfront restaurant opening--Lift. But here's a complimentary tour; you'll have to pay extra at the newstand to read the review without the typos. Lift cost $6.5 million; summer will spell if it really takes off but certainly the hordes have been finding it so far.

I just came back from dining at Lift. Since I met up with ex-coworkers, we decided to do the drinks and appetizer thing early evening. It must have been "cougar hour" or "cougar's night out". I haven’t seen that many women with too much lip gloss and men with bad hair pieces wearing big nouveau riche watches in one setting!

Ok, so I should talk about their food. Aside from the meat market type atmosphere, the service and food was quite good. I had the fig braised short ribs, the tang from the lemon confit was a nice contrast with the sweetness from the figs and braised rib. Their crab cake was a little too salty for my liking and the sour cream and strawberries didn’t add much to the main thing. The calamari was boring, texture was great but the batter had a powdery after taste and the sauces that came with it (cilantro yogurt and cocktail sauce) were very bland. It’s a great dish to share but I wouldn’t order that again. My vegetarian friend ordered the California roll (almost made me roll my eyes!) but they far exceeded my expectations! I usually never order sushi in non-Japanese restaurants (sorry this is snotty but I have reasons..) but this roll was fun! It was lightly fried in tempura batter and I could taste a hint of sweet tamari soy-ish flavour. Visually it was presented nicely also, scattered with 3 different kinds of roe (tobiko in various colours?) and some kind of mayonnaise based sauce drizzled over the plate. All plates used to dish up were fun and non-conventional; I can imagine dish washers loving those… We didn’t have an entrée but decided to order dessert. I shared the molton chocolate cake. It came nice and hot, the caramelized bananas were very good but I wish there was a scoop of gelato, ice cream or some kind of fruit compote to counter that incredible sweetness. I had to ask for several coffee refills.

Since I was driving, I didn’t have any wine and silly me I forgot to scan through the wine list (too much fun catching up with friends!). They were using Riedel O glasses which I’m not a big fan of. I always can’t figure out where I should place my hand when I drink out of those. Warm wine is no good! Looks funky though.

My next visit I will be sure to have a full dinner and will definitely be ordering wine! Oh they do brunch as well; maybe I’ll go when it’s sunny out since they have a beautiful patio with spectacular views.

ahh where's the button for the fries?

Posted

re: LIFT

me thinks it may proove very hard to recoupe 6.5millionCDN without the afore mentioned 8% food cost and $13 pints.

--did I get that math right?

That said; I will contribute to the cause next "Cougar Hour" I have off.

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

In-thread Link (CLICKETY)

I'm too lazy to cut and paste :biggrin:

Very engaging ... although I agree with Deborah on the slowness of it. I understand it's a "teaser" site, so I'll be interested to see how these images git in with the final packaging.

A.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

The slow graphics are a real "Nu"isance. Looking forward to some real info about the food, etc. But alas, "Nu"thing yet.

Posted
I gave up on the site.  Truly annoying!!!!!  Is there anymore info?

If you read the Globe 7 section this Friday, much will be revealed.

Unfortunately no, I tend to avoid the Globe.

I believe Jamie's speaking in future tense. As in, the Friday May 13th issue of the G&M. Someone is filling in for the 7 section for a couple weeks.

A.

Posted

The Globe is superb. Or at least superb-ish. You can see superb from where the Globe stands. Alexa Gill has been doing a fantastic job with the restaurant reviews. And I don't know if this is meaningful or not, but her reviews have been moving closer and closer to the front of the Seven Days section. My estimation of her jumped considerably after last weeks feature "10 great patios". I kept waiting for the inevitable Bridges nomination, to her credit she left it off. Bravo.

They do occasionally print reviews by some Maw character. I mostly just skip over those.

Posted

How could someone be needed to fill in, when the section is only a month old? What the hel? Is it common in media to start a new job, then promptly dissappear for a spell? I always knew I entered the wrong field.

Posted

Time to focus folks.

Nu ... remember that place? :raz:

I'm looking forward to the article ... the place has picqued my interest, website aside! :raz:

A.

Posted

From this, one can only deduce that Harry Kambolis has secret blueprints to take over the Vancouver magazine awards for 'best regional' after C and Raincity Grill.

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.

Virginia Woolf

Posted
... hearty duck and foie gras croquettes over french lentils; an irresistibly aromatic oxtail soup; superb duck confit with a liquified foie gras pull apart, tempered by just off-tart rhubarb; tidbits of deliciously caramelized lamb cheeks, teased with radish and mint; rare seared wild salmon served simply with fennel and shallot butter ...

:wub:

I hope they're going to be ready for us! Remember Go Fish! & Chambar last year? And a deck to boot without those awful railings!

I was particularly interested in the "legalized fast-track" approach to City Hall. Can anyone (Harry?) give an indication how that works? Are we talking a flat fee, or is it a percentage ...? Just curious.

A.

Posted

You pay the Plan Checkers' (drawing and documentation reviewers) overtime yourself, rather than expecting the taxpayers to pay it for you, is my understanding. This means that your BP applications etc. can go through more quickly.

Agenda-free since 1966.

Foodblog: Power, Convection and Lies

Posted
I was particularly interested in the "legalized fast-track" approach to City Hall.  Can anyone (Harry?) give an indication how that works?  Are we talking a flat fee, or is it a percentage ...?  Just curious.

A.

In this case $1600.

from the thinly veneered desk of:

Jamie Maw

Food Editor

Vancouver magazine

www.vancouvermagazine.com

Foodblog: In the Belly of the Feast - Eating BC

"Profumo profondo della mia carne"

Posted
I was particularly interested in the "legalized fast-track" approach to City Hall.  Can anyone (Harry?) give an indication how that works?  Are we talking a flat fee, or is it a percentage ...?  Just curious.

A.

This is how it was explained to me…The plan checkers take on these fast tracked jobs after regular business hours to make extra money (overtime). If they have plans after work or have a party to go to on the weekend then you’re out of luck. We found in the end that money does actually talk at city hall so…instead of the process taking six weeks to complete it took about one. I have to say that we were quite happy to have the option of paying the extra fee of, as Jamie said, $1600.00 ( $175.00 per hour).

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