Eyes On The Fries

[jamiemaw]

In a food section cover article in today's Vancouver Sun, the Hamilton Street Grill bested many city stalwarts for its yam fries.

Sun reporter Shelley Fralic asked for input from readers, and then did the due diligence herself, at:

Belgian Frites

Cafe de Paris

Hell's Kitchen

Fritz European Fry House

Feenie's

Fish Cafe

Four 'N' Twenty

Hermitage

Guido's Garlic Fries

Tha Hammy came out tops, because in Ms. Fralic's opinion, "The hearty stack of yam fries at this Yaletown yuppie roost may not qualify as true fries, but I make up the rules here, and they were far and away the best chips to pass my lips."

She failed to mention the house signature dessert of lemon meringue pie (another category killer), however.

She crapped (excuse the turn of phrase) all over the Watermark's 'lamentable" version, likening them to the "frozen, flaccid and tasteless" standard around the town.

Congratulations to eG upstanding member N. Wyles.

PS: When was the last time you heard a reporter use the term 'yuppie'? Quaint. I had to pause a moment to remember its 80s reference, 'Young Urban Punk', I believe.

Edited August 31, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[Keith Talent]

Cheers to Neil.

Four N' Twenty? WTF? What the hell kinda name is that? I'm getting old and cranky when I don't find it amusing or witty, just irritating and stupid. And I woundn't eat at somewhere called Guido's Garlic Fries. Call it latent racism if you must, it's too bad but I'm not going there.

[waylman]

4:20 maaaaaaaaaaaaaaan

[Keith Talent]

Yeah. I get it. It's just not clever.

[jamiemaw]

Four 'N' Twenty references the children's nursery rhyme

Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye,

Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.

When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,

Oh wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?

The king was in his counting house counting out his money,

The queen was in the parlour eating bread and honey

The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes,

When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose!

In Australia, a four 'n' twenty is a beer-sop meat pie, often factory produced and in vast quantities.

[Keith Talent]

Or at least that's the story they gave the licence inspector.

[SBonner]

Too bad the picture of the yam fries does not live upto the photo of the Cafe de Paris fries...it's all about presentation in this industry

Stephen

Edited August 31, 2005 by SBonner (log)

[Feedbag]

As long as we're heaping praise on Neil, I got a release

today announcing he's co-heading (?!) some kinda Yaletown

food fest in Oct. Could this be elaborated upon here or in another

thread?

[Vancitygirl]

As long as we're heaping praise on Neil, I got a release

today announcing he's co-heading (?!) some kinda Yaletown

food fest in Oct. Could this be elaborated upon here or in another

thread?

←

Vancouver, BC: Food and wine lovers are invited to take their seats this fall and eat up the deals offered by Yaletown’s top restaurants during a ten-day dining promotion October 3 - 13. The first annual Taste of Yaletown event, presented by American Express, will highlight the quality, variety and hospitality of the area’s creative chefs. Participating restaurants – from French Bistro and Italian Enoteca to Japanese Izakaya and Southern Barbecue – will offer a cornucopia of special menus, progressive tastings, gift certificates, complimentary appetizers and desserts.

“Yaletown’s diverse restaurant scene offers exceptional choices from quick and casual to high-end and extravagant,” says Neil Wyles, co-chair of Taste of Yaletown and owner/chef at Hamilton Street Grill. “People love to eat and meet in Yaletown.”

The event is also being led by Jack Lamont, Director of Operations for Glowbal Group Restaurants. “This ten-day affair is our way of marking a celebration of the district's success on everyone's calendar,” says Lamont. “We hope to make Yaletown Vancouver’s preferred ‘dining destination’ for locals and visitors.”

American Express is the premier sponsor of this event. “Our goal at American Express is to create and provide the very best in value and service for the merchants that support us, as well as for our Cardmembers,” says Andy Van Ruyven, Director, Client Management, American Express. “And by getting involved in the Taste of Yaletown we have a great opportunity to do just that."

Other proud Taste of Yaletown sponsors include Finlandia, Labatt Breweries of Canada, British Columbia Wine Institute, CFUN's Best of Food & Wine Show and the Vancouver Sun.

Participating restaurants will donate ten percent of their receipts from one Thanksgiving weekend evening to A Loving Spoonful – a volunteer-driven, non-partisan society that provides free nutritious, meals to people living with HIV.

More details about special offers and participating restaurants during Taste of Yaletown will be available by mid-September.

[Paul B]

Jokes aside, the fries at Cafe de Paris are the closest to the frites I've had in France anywhere in Canada, much less Vancouver. They get my nod. As a matter of fact, I wish I had some beside me right now...

[nwyles]

Paul,

All hail the true king of fries !!

Bow beneath the king of fries

Suffer no imposters

Worship no fries other than mine.............

Cheers ( smiley face !!! )

Neil

P.S. Worship no tuber other than the YAM

[Irishgirl]

You mean we can't worship Truffles???????

Sorry man, I can't agree with this one.

And no, i don't want to fry them...just worship them.

[nwyles]

There has been a massive run on yam fries. I wish I had shares in Mayo futures right now.

Why can I not be the King of Steak and Lobster for $50.00 a plate rather than Yams @ $5

People arriving at the door with newspaer clipping in hand !

Funny

Just not funny when two girls threaten to kick my ass beacuse I do not have any Lemon Meringue pie !

My trigger finger just kept hitting the smiley faces !

[jamiemaw]

There has been a massive run on yam fries. I wish I had shares in Mayo futures right now. 

Why can I not be the King of Steak and Lobster for $50.00 a plate rather than Yams @ $5

People arriving at the door with newspaer clipping in hand !

Funny

Just not funny when two girls threaten to kick my ass beacuse I do not have any Lemon Meringue pie !

My trigger finger just kept hitting the smiley faces !

←

For lemon meringue pie you can charge as much as $6.95!

Edited September 4, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[PlanitV]

Just back from a lovely dinner at Coast, another Yaletown spot with a good jolt of fries with almost every course. Yummy, crunchy and perfectly salted. What is it about Yaletown? Is there something in the water that makes good fries?