Van Mag Restaurant Awards

[ssherwood]

You're right, Andrew, it was the afternoon. I forgot to eat, methinks, and my mantra of

THE LIVER IS EVIL AND MUST BE PUNISHED

went a little out of hand. Oh aching head. I still blame Chambar and Baru and Rob Rizk for my hangover. It was akin to the Life cereal ad. 'Give it to Sean, he'll drink anything!'

Either way, I'm told it was a fantastic night. Congrats again to the winners. Off to get advil.

[surfer_dream]

Hey, congrats to all of those who won at the awards yesterday inclusive of those of whom which received silver, bronze and the honorable mention - really why bother!!

I would also really like to congratulate all of those fine eating establishments with whom we choose to dine month in and month out... La Terraza, Quattro, Parkside, Glowbal Grill & Satay Bar, Joe Fortes, Circolo, Coast Restaurant, Rodney's, and the list goes on... critics must not have had the time to dine here in the past year??? Another disappointment but this is to be expected - right???

If you have the time read more on the above in the thread - Unbiased restaurant reviews - I am sure you will find my comments most interesting...

Objective and thorough these awards are as mentioned??? - and how they are mandated need not only a task force to bring them into a positive forefront forgiving the unmistakable politics at play, but a sweet seduction of virgin olive oil over new lips harmonized with expert tastebuds would be desirably refreshing!!!

[Andrew Morrison]

Surfer, I thought you shot your wad this morning...but alas, you return to the scene of the silly.

You seem pretty choked up about the awards. What gives?

Rather than telling us what we already know about you - that you aren't big buddies with the VanMag awards - why don't you try telling us something else? There are many threads here...care to let us know where you've eaten lately?

As an observer of and a participant in Vancouver's restaurant culture I thought the awards went to those who deserved them the most. I'm in agreement that David Hawksworth is the best chef in Vancouver right now, that Chambar was the best new restaurant of the year, that Earl's is the best casual, et cetera. Of course there are going to be gripes...but this is just weird, dude.

There were 27 judges, all bringing to the table different standards, tastebuds, baggage and personal experiences. If you're in the restaurant business and were disappointed that you didn't make the cut, then your vitriol is about as inexcusable as it is forgivable. Nevertheless, you'll find we're a friendly bunch.

I (for one) would love to see you post more.

Edited March 31, 2005 by editor@waiterblog (log)

[jamiemaw]

Hey Jamie - I beleive this has been mentioned before but bears repeating. I'd really like to see an Asian version of the Golden Plates (Golden Rice Bowls?) undertaken in conjunction with one of the local chinese languge daily papers. I'd be quite interested what the Chinese community thought from an insider perspective. Yeah you've got the surrname, and I live in the right area of town,  but we're still not privvy to the real inside deal, I don't think.

Anyone know if the Chinese language papers already do something similar?

←

Keith, I think that our judges--for the past seven years at least-- already comprise the backbone of the Chinese food and wine media. So we think that we've had solid research over time. That being said, we are reaching out even farther to bolster our Chinese-centric team--headed up by Stephen Wong--in both the casual and fine dining categories for 2006.

Edited April 2, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[jamiemaw]

Somewhere in between the VanMag awards and The Golden Plate probably lies a middle ground.

←

With all due respect to Mr. Maw and the hard working folks at Van Mag, if the Restaurant Awards didn't help sell magazines, somehow I doubt they would exist. I'm not at all implying that Van Mag's selection process is somehow flawed or suspect, merely that the reason these awards exist is different than the reason for the awards themselves.

A.

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Arne,

I've been travelling since early Wednesday morning and haven't had the opportunity to respond to your questions until now. Here goes . . .

We hope that, throughout the year, all of our editorial content helps to sell magazines. That would certainly include the January Wine Awards edition and the April Restaurant Awards edition, now in its sixteenth year. But it would be a misconception to think that the awards programs and the attendant advertising they generate are an enormous cash cow--unfortunately the economics of contemporary publishing mitigate against that.

Although the April awards edition of the magazine is its best selling edition (it provides a useful, year-long guide to keep near the telephone, amongst other reasons), its surplus really only underwrites our ability to maintain effective

food and wine coverage (from James Barber, Christina Burridge, Steve Burgess and me) throughout the year. The event itself, after ten years, makes a modest surplus, thanks to excellent sponsorship support.

My only complaint with the Van Mag Restaurant Awards is that Greater Vancouver doesn't have enough restaurants (of a given calibre) to make the outcomes even interesting. This doesn't diminish the accomplishments of the winners, meremly makes their accomplishments more commonplace. I'm sure I'll be corrected, but it seems that West (Ouest) and Lumiere have swapped this award for the last few years. This may be the true state of the union, but you can't blame people for finding it dull.

Our readership surge for April refutes this notion, although the truly food-obsessed (such as eGulleteers) might become impatient with the rate of change in a mid-sized market such as BC. In other words, you are not necessarily our target demographic, Arne. So I'll also state a personal opinion here: That excellent restaurants--through sound vision, discipline, expertise and consistency--tend to stay excellent over time.

But the magazine is not published only for the food-obsessed, it's a citywide chronicle that, in conjunction with the actual awards event, serves several constituencies: its general interest readers; people with a serious interest in dining out; and, we should remember, the chefs, servers, suppliers, producers and owners whose excellence is saluted both on the day and in the magazine. That being said, each group feels a sense of entitlement--my job is to ensure that a cross-section of needs are answered expertly and accurately. I daresay that you would have had a more pervasive grasp of this latter and highly important constituency had you attended the event. Some of the speeches (where mentors were thanked profusely; I thought Krishna Jamal's very endearing), and Ben Reeder's and Terra Bell's dynamic videos--really touched on the spirit of collaboration extant in the industry.

Okay, 2 complaints ... how does the North Shore get its own category, while Burnaby (although well represented this year in the 'Burbs category) is lumped in with everyone else? Could it be that Chef Metcalf's comment on a North Shore reluctance to cross a bridge comes into play here?

The North Shore has its own category because of its relatively dense population of quality restaurants; we also enjoy strong readership there. You will note that, as areas pass a tipping point of concentration (and as our resources permit), we have created new, specific geographic categories. This year, for instance, we added the Okanagan Valley and Vancouver Island.

With reference to the Golden Plates ... a bit of Googling revealed that the Van Mag awards once had a Reader's Choice category as well. Low and behold 2roost, Joe Fortes won the Bronze that year. Why was this category dropped? (Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere Jamie).

It's news to me that we've discontinued the Readers' Choice Awards. The results of those awards are usually published in the autumn of each year. And indeed, some of the favourites of various posters on this thread have been recognized.

Personally, I think that the people called to the stage to receive their awards are great, hard-working folks. And importantly, this is the one day of the year when everyone can get together and spill some beer. After the event on Tuesday night, city restaurants were full of owners, chefs and servers dining with their 'competitors'--something that just doesn't happen elsewhere.

Conversely, the past decade has taught us that the odd sour-grapes type who tries to slag the loudest typically contributes the least--even if they're happy to eat our food and drink our wine all afternoon.

I hope that this helps set the record straight. By the way, did anything much happen while I was away?

Jamie

Edited April 3, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[jamiemaw]

Without getting into a rant let me just say that while I think the VanMag Restaurants Awards are a great event it strikes me as odd that the 2 highest grossing restaurants in the city year in and year out (Bridges and Joe Forte's) are never acknowledged.  Both places have been "doing it right" for 20 some years boys - throw them a freakin' bone !

←

If memory serves, 2roost, both Bridges and Joe Fortes have received awards in the past. Three years ago, Bud Kanke, the General Partner of the Joe Fortes limited partnership, was awarded the Lifetime Culinary Achievement Award.

Although I wouldn't necessarily agree that both of these restaurants still qualify, we are not currently considering an award category for "Highest Grossing Restaurant/s." So I would ask you, what categories would you create that they would logically win?

Edited April 2, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[Daddy-A]

Personally, I think that the people called to the stage to receive their awards are great, hard-working folks. And importantly, this is the one day of the year when everyone can get together and spill some beer. After the event on Tuesday night, city restaurants were full of owners, chefs and servers dining with their 'competitors'--something that just doesn't happen elsewhere. 

I hope I didn't give the impression that anything other than this was true ... or that the industry didn't value these awards ... or that the winners were somehow undeserving.

But I stand by my belief that the same two restaurants swapping the Gold Medal year after year somehow lessens their impact ... in my eyes at least. Kinda like those years when The Oilers, The Habs or The Islanders kept winning the Stanley Cup. They may be the best (and there's little denying the West & Lummiere are our best IMO) but a lack of competition reduces the "relative importance" of the victory.

I hope that this helps set the record straight.

Eloquently as always Mr. Maw.

A.

[merlin]

Great thread...I have been chuckling at some of the wit...some intended, some maybe not...expressed in the prose.

I sent a congratulatory email to someone whose restaurant won an award with the proviso that I was not sure how "seriously" they took this type of award.

The reply was "spot on"...[decidedly "tongue in cheek"]...omething to the effect of when we win we take the award very seriously but if we don't...heap copious quantities of scorn on the event ...dubious credibility based upon comped meals to food critics and free booze.....

edited to add the "tongue in cheek" reference to insure the restaurant owner's humour was not misinterpreted

Edited April 2, 2005 by merlin (log)

[James Kendal]

ooohhh I would love to put my 2 cents in on this thread but.... as a representative of a property I must keep my mouth shut.... perhaps the PR machine will have to roll for next year to get back on the radar.

Anyway congrats to the winners and perhaps Chef Fennie and Chef Hawksworth could duke it out in an Iron Chef Vancouver competition for charity or perhaps a celebrity cook off. Now that would be fun to watch

[jamiemaw]

But I stand by my belief that the same two restaurants swapping the Gold Medal year after year somehow lessens their impact ... in my eyes at least. 

←

Arne,

There's enough information on this and the other 'How They Work' thread to properly explain both the efficacy and the results, which tend to reflect the size of the market perhaps more than the methodology. Anyway, that's been thrashed to death.

But one last thought: Although some like to dwell on the Restaurant of the Year category, where indeed two restaurants have vied for this award the past few years, there are 36 other categories, plus the Playhouse Wine List Awards.

And because our readership does not eat exclusively at Lumière or West on alternating nights , we continue to believe that's the way it should be.

Cheers,

Jamie

Edited April 3, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[Daddy-A]

But one last thought: Although some like to dwell on the Restaurant of the Year category, where indeed two restaurants have vied for this award the past few years, there are 36 other categories, plus the Playhouse Wine List Awards.

True enough Jamie, and point well taken.

On a related note: I was at Go Fish! for lunch yesterday (fortunately during one of the breaks in the monsoon season) and was able to congratulate Andreas on their Gold in the Best New - Informal category. Andreas wasn't actually at the awards as he was spending time with his daughter (a fact that speaks volume of this man's charater IMO), but expressed his great surprise at the award. My comment to him was "You're about the only one who was suprised then."

Apparently Gord Martin was visiting the loo when his award was presented and the manager for one of the Bins accepted on his behalf. Now that's funny!

A.

[jamiemaw]

But one last thought: Although some like to dwell on the Restaurant of the Year category, where indeed two restaurants have vied for this award the past few years, there are 36 other categories, plus the Playhouse Wine List Awards.

True enough Jamie, and point well taken.

On a related note: I was at Go Fish! for lunch yesterday (fortunately during one of the breaks in the monsoon season) and was able to congratulate Andreas on their Gold in the Best New - Informal category. Andreas wasn't actually at the awards as he was spending time with his daughter (a fact that speaks volume of this man's charater IMO), but expressed his great surprise at the award. My comment to him was "You're about the only one who was suprised then."

Apparently Gord Martin was visiting the loo when his award was presented and the manager for one of the Bins accepted on his behalf. Now that's funny!

A.

←

Yes, amply deserved. In order to reflect the importance of these many other categories, it's my understanding that the two restaurants being featured on the Vicki Gabereau show next week (tapes Tuesday, airtime TBC, but usually a couple of days later) are Memphis Blues (Park and George) and Go Fish! (Gord Martin and Andreas). I took James Chatto, the outstanding food writer from Toronto Life magazine to Go Fish! last weekend (in addition to eight other local restaurants). He enjoyed it thoroughly, saying "Seafood always tastes better in the fresh air."

[hopkin]

But one last thought: Although some like to dwell on the Restaurant of the Year category, where indeed two restaurants have vied for this award the past few years, there are 36 other categories

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Why is 'Best Cafe' or even 'Best Coffee' missing?

[jamiemaw]

But one last thought: Although some like to dwell on the Restaurant of the Year category, where indeed two restaurants have vied for this award the past few years, there are 36 other categories

←

Why is 'Best Cafe' or even 'Best Coffee' missing?

←

Excellent suggestions, Adrian. I'll certainly put them up for consideration by the panel, especially Best Coffee--the Best Cafe category might be a little harder to define, unless you have any further thoughts.

Thank you,

Jamie

[hopkin]

Excellent suggestions, Adrian. I'll certainly put them up for consideration by the panel, especially Best Coffee--the Best Cafe category might be a little harder to define, unless you have any further thoughts.

Thank you,

Jamie

←

I suggest three new catagories. Best Coffee and Best Tea are a must. Each have strong showings.

Thirdly, Best Informal, which seems to exist only as Best New Restaurant - Informal.

While I'm at it I'll express another idea which many may find unrealistic, but I'm not the compeditive type. I would do away with the G, S, B rankings. Showcase the Best three equally. In many catagories there are establishments which certainly produce equal yet different styles which I'm sure as a judge you find difficult to rank one above the other. People are attracted to the drama of competition, which attracts them to awards like this, but I believe first place should be shared by the "Best". The premiere award certainly fits this arrangement. At such a level can you really choose one and say it is better than the other? As they flip flop each year the impression is no.

[*Deborah*]

Just got the hardcopy in today; well done. The panel is even larger than I had thought! Tabulation must be gruelling. I agree with all of the opinions that I can compare to my own experience, and wish my restaurant budget were decidedly larger so that I might expand my dining to gauge the panel's opinions even more .

(Still offering my services as copy editor to Van Mag though )

[M'd]

Mypoint of confusion came during the Awards ceremony when Lumiere got mentioned for Best French.

--did I drink too much?-did I hear that right.

Lumiere could just as easily been "Best Japanese" then too.

It's really not a French Dining environment IMHO.

[BCinBC]

M'd, I think chef koo would share your sentiment. My impression is that restaurants get slotted into some categories so that they don't end up competing in (or winning) all categories.

Agreed Lumiere is not 100% French in the way Le Croc would be considered to be, and maybe it should be slotted into the "regional" category instead (assuming it isn't already). Same debate rages on these boards on Vij's - is it "Indian"? But (and I'm not critisizing) by giving out gold, silver and broze or "best of" awards, everything is getting labelled for the general public anyway, so what's a little more?

On a similar note, if West is the restaurant of the year, then why is it only an honourable mention for best regional? Same reasoning I would think.

[jamiemaw]

M'd, I think chef koo would share your sentiment. My impression is that restaurants get slotted into some categories so that they don't end up competing in (or winning) all categories.

Agreed Lumiere is not 100% French in the way Le Croc would be considered to be, and maybe it should be slotted into the "regional" category instead (assuming it isn't already). Same debate rages on these boards on Vij's - is it "Indian"? But (and I'm not critisizing) by giving out gold, silver and broze or "best of" awards, everything is getting labelled for the general public anyway, so what's a little more?

←

Categories are never easy choices, especially in Vancouver, with so many merged cuisines and muddied lines. For instance, if one were to closely examine the menu at Cioppino's, which most folks might assume was an Italian restaurant, you might be somewhat surprised to see that many of the dishes are actually French or French- influenced.

A couple of clarifications:

The actual name of the category that Lumiere is entered in is 'Best French or French-Influenced', awkward nomenclature to be sure, but a more accurate and realistic reflection of modern cooking in Vancouver.

Further, when there is any doubt as to categorization, we ask the restaurauteur to choose.

On a similar note, if West is the restaurant of the year, then why is it only an honourable mention for best regional? Same reasoning I would think.

'Regionality' reflects assertive local ingredient sourcing and, increasingly, the addressing of sustainability issues. Thus, Raincity's foraging program for free range, line-caught pine mushrooms, conducted from the kneeling position, rates highly.

Edited April 6, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[BCinBC]

Thanks for the clarification Jamie!

[jamiemaw]

For those of you interested, George Sui and Park Heffelfinger of Memphis Blues will be appearing on the Vicki Gabereau Show on Thursday afternoon. I believe that I am included in the money shot--the consumption of several spareribs while sounding like Meg Ryan in a restaurant.

This is Vicki Gabereau's last week on CTV. In addition to co-hosting the Restaurant Awards for the last several years, she has been an outstanding supporter of chefs, winemakers, and cookbook authors, offering them one of few national platforms to show their chops.

On behalf of many, our sincere thanks to Vicki.

Jamie

Edited April 6, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[M'd]

I am digging the "line caught pine mushroom" idea.

I'll be waiting for that fishery to open with ahem...baited breath.

[tarteausucre]

Thought I'd start the discussion going!

***

They came, they ate, they accepted their accolades. Yesterday afternoon, Vancouver Magazine held its 17th annual Restaurant Awards, a gala event at the Sheraton Wall Centre in which the who's who of the foodie world gathered to pay tribute to the best in culinary excellence. Food highlights included taro coated prawns with a sweet chili dipping sauce, tomato and bocconcini on skewers, and pan fried sablefish with sauteed fiddleheads. Out of the dessert selections, the silky milk chocolate tart provided by La Regalade was especially decadent. The wine also flowed abundantly with the Wines of South Africa sponsoring and providing the beverages for the event.

After much mingling in a room warm with chatter and good food, the lights dimmed to signal the start of the award ceremony. Gloria Macarenko and Steve Burgess were effervescent hosts who managed to keep the show moving at an entertaining, yet efficient pace. Video clips that included Thomas Haas crafting his chocolate desserts and the owners of Lolita's Cantina extolling the glories of tequila, punctuated the handing out of the many awards. Award winners were brief in their acceptance speeches but still managed to convey the passion and dedication that have contributed to their successes. The quirky Gord Martin of Bin 941/942 unofficially won the award for "Best Dressed" while Robert Clark from C Restaurant garnered the award for "Future Best Dressed" with his winning of an Ermenegildo Zegna gift certificate that accompanied his Chef of the Year award. Especially moving were tributes given by Jamie Maw and Vicki Gabereau to three Vancouver legends, Jean-Claude Ramond, Werner Forster, and Joel Thibault, who all passed away this year, leaving legacies as impressive as the food and the restaurants that they created. After much fanfare, the Restaurant of the Year was announced to be yet again, West , that outdid itself in its commitment to impeccably innovative, high quality cuisine. Amidst the applause and the congratulatory handshaking, the crowd slowly filtered out to enjoy celebratory bubbles and chocolate dipped strawberries. A very satisfying end to a year of exceptional dining on the Vancouver food scene.

Award highlights (Due to lack of energy on the writer's part, see your May 2006 issue of Vancouver Magazine for full listing):

Restaurant of the Year: Gold - West; Silver - Lumiere; Bronze - C Restaurant

Chef of the Year: Gold - Robert Clark (C Restaurant); Silver - Jeff Van Geest (Aurora); Bronze - Pino Posteraro (Cioppino's/Enoteca)

Best New Fine Dining: Gold - Nu; Silver - Senova; Bronze - Mistral French Bistro

Best New Informal: Gold - Diner; Silver - Habit Lounge; Bronze - Lolita's South of the Border Cantina

Best Regional: Gold - Raincity Grill; Silver - C Restaurant; Bronze - Aurora

Best Seafood: Gold - C Restaurant; Silver - Blue Water Cafe; Bronze - Tojo's

Best Small Plates: Gold - Bin 941/942; Silver - Nu; Bronze - Lumiere Tasting Bar

How did everyone else's night go?

Edited May 3, 2006 by tarteausucre (log)

[Daddy-A]

Chef of the Year: Gold - Robert Clark (C Restaurant); Silver - Jeff Van Geest (Aurora); Bronze - Pino Posteraro (Cioppino's/Enoteca)

WOW! Congrats Jeff! How hungover are you this morning??

Best New Fine Dining: Gold - Nu; Silver - Senova; Bronze - Mistral French Bistro

No surprise here. I still say the chairs suck (sorry Leonard), but everything else is spot on.

Best New Informal: Gold - Diner; Silver - Habit Lounge; Bronze - Lolita's South of the Border Cantina

I'm sorry. I still don't get it.

Best Small Plates: Gold - Bin 941/942; Silver - Nu; Bronze - Lumiere Tasting Bar

Nu finally injecting some new blood into this category. Maybe I need to re-visit the Bins.

What these awards highlight for me is how small this city really is. I'm not knocking anyone's accomplishments, but how many categories feature the same 3 or 4 restaurants year after year? I wonder if this is the case in a city like New York or Paris? Kinda doubt it.

A.

[*Deborah*]

Thanks for the report, tarteausucre!

Congrats to all the winners, but especially Aurora and Chef Jeff!