The Georgia Straight Golden Plate Awards

[waylman]

sounds great, I shall check it out....

[Andrew Morrison]

tell them Keith sent you

[waylman]

keith is a bad, bad man

[Andrew Morrison]

uh-oh, I fear a Chatters epic coming on....

[jamiemaw]

Here's my take of last years awards. It was also the thread that encouraged Jamie to allow his alter ego almost equual time, yes I played a role in the birth of  F. Morris Chatters, and for that I'll be eternally sorry.  (I think) the first appearance by Mr. Chatters.

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Hey, until I met you in person, I thought you were Jamie's alter ego. Like Clark Kent and Superman, never seen in the same place at the same time, but somehow connected.

I think a round on you is in order for releasing the beast of F. Morris Chatters.

Can you put the genie back in the bottle ? I fear it is too late. I think that Maw is nearly done production of the next issue of Van Mag, so he is going to unleash F. Morris with a furious vengence real soon.

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Keith,

First, can I be Clark tonight? I've got to review a restaurant and the spandex caused a bit of a stir at Delilah's last week. I've left the cape for you under the back doormat. Plus, I need the steel-blue hair tint back please.

Neil,

Congratulations on winning your award at the Wine Festival Wine List/Program Awards today. Now you can put the genie back in the bottle too.

All,

As to the whereabouts of F. Morris Chatters, last sighting was at the Wine Festival where he was seen squiring no less than Virginia Madsen around the campus. He was heard to remark, "For a while there I thought I was slipping precipitously backwards, but it turns out it was merely sideways." At the encouragement of Miss Madsen, Chatters is reportedly considering moving on from hospitality PR into a career on the small screen. Kind of. Apparently he's auditioning to play a feckless restaurant PR director on an uber-trendy Bravo! series currently shooting in Yaletown. Anybody heard of it?

Edited March 19, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[Andrew Morrison]

Who does Chatters end up sleeping with?

[jamiemaw]

Who does Chatters end up sleeping with?

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Well, he was looking pretty intensely at Miss Madsen, and she's being touted (a word that Chatters and I profoundly dislike for reasons known only too well here) for a guest shot.

Truth be known, though, by the end of the afternoon she was looking at Chatters with a disdain seen previously only in out-takes from Elimidate. So it'll probably be the dead chef after all.

Edited March 19, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[Leonard]

Does anyone take these lists seriously? I mean where was West?

The HUH'S?! for me were:

Milestone's for best appetizers and salads; and

The Cannery for best seafood and most romantic spot - gimme a break on both counts.

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Where was West? Pretty amazing that there was no mention of them that I could see.

Leonard

C GM

[jamiemaw]

Does anyone take these lists seriously? I mean where was West?

The HUH'S?! for me were:

Milestone's for best appetizers and salads; and

The Cannery for best seafood and most romantic spot - gimme a break on both counts.

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Where was West? Pretty amazing that there was no mention of them that I could see.

Leonard

C GM

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Good question. But perhaps more disturbing (from an integrity perspective) than oversights and perceived ballot-stuffing, is the selling of ads based on pre-announced results.

It's pretty hard to miss that there are quite a few advertisements where the 'winning' restaurant thanks its patrons/voters/The Academy etc. Wouldn't it be more journalistically responsible to release the results to the public before advertisers, and without the results tied to an overt sales campaign?

I think that this, in and of itself, demeans the process and I personally find it a suspect practice. I would be interested to know your thoughts.

[Daddy-A]

Good question. But perhaps more disturbing (from an integrity perspective) than oversights and perceived ballot-stuffing, is the selling of ads based on pre-announced results.

Is anybody really fooled by these "awards"? Really? As soon as I saw some of the results the paper was destined for the dog-pile. The adverts just got it there sooner.

Honestly, The Straight has really disappointed as of late. I'm more of a Terminal City guy now.

A.

[Coop]

I on the otherhand believe everything I read in the Straight. I know my real friends are the bartenders at the Roxy. They're like family.

[transfattyacid]

Is it just me or are the Golden plates the most ridiculous of any restaurant / foodie awards in the world ever ???

I mean gee guys i`m just baffled .

If any one has a copy have a look and laugh . here is a few that caught my eye:-

Best Desserts winner Death by Chocolate !!! WTf ?

Best French Fries winner Mcdonalds ? ( you gotta be kidding me ?)

Best Appetizers winner Milestones`s ( aww come on now your taking the piss surely ?)

Innovative menu ? why not a category for most appetizing menu ? or am i just missing the point ?

How about a category for best righteous, vegetarian reastaurant that serves the great un-washed in the fourth avenue area in the most unhygeinic kitchen known to man.

Not to mention the multitude of top restaurants that are conspicuous in their abundant absence .

ok i know its a readers poll. but it becomes very clear that the readers or ballot stuffers have no clue. how about a readers poll that the readers of the straight ( straight to the recycling in my house ) actually know some thing about , like tattoos and piercings , how much butt cleavage you can get away with these days or marijuana , or best brothel

discuss at your leisure

p.s sorry i haven`t been posting for awhile shoulder to the grind stone and all that , i`m sure SOME of you will understand

[chef koo]

i think the general consensus here is that the golden plate is complete bullshit. so why not do our own. we take the same categories. pm the votes to someone as to make sure the votes aren't manipulated by popularity. hell i'll do it.

the categories are:

pacific northwest

latin american

chinese

thai

indian

japanese

other asian (whatever that means)

french

spanish

italian

greek

mexican

african

seafood

vegetarian

tapas

deli

juice bar

bakery (pastires)

bakery (bread)

coffee shop

appetizers

soups

salads

sandwiches

hamburgers

french fries

fish and chips

wraps

pizza

people watching

celebrity watching

late night/all night

innovative menu

group/gathering

to impress out-of-towners

ultimate dining expirience

wine list

beer list

drink specials

stiffest drink

best new restaurant

diner/casual

takeout

best restaurant chain

steaks

lobster

pub food

sushi

dim sum

desserts

breakfast

weekend brunch

most romantic

$10 meal

organic food menu

service

view

patio

so just go ahead and pm me with your annswers and i'll post the results. i'll set a deadline of this saturday which is the 26. make sure not to post your answers.

Edited March 22, 2005 by chef koo (log)

[Ducky]

Could egulleteers not show a bit of culinary noblesse oblige and allow the unwashed masses who read the Georgia Straight to vote for Anton's, Cobbs Bread, Milestones and The Cannery and any other damn place just as often as they would like?

Are we not secure enough in our roles as elitist foodies to permit those less fortunate to amuse themselves with polls of this sort?

[BCinBC]

Elitist foodie I am not; still very green around the edges, at the bottom of the learning curve, insert cliche of choice here. I agree with all above comments on the Straight awards, but I'd also be interested in the results of Chef Koo's Platinum (Diamond?) Plate Awards. As such, I will participate and I hope everyone else does too. After all, you can't complain if you don't vote! (Uh, unless it's the Straight awards I guess )

[PaoPao]

The Golden Plate Awards gives me bad flashbacks of when my wife and I first started coming to Vancouver before we moved here. In the hotels we would stay, the first thing the check in usually gives out is the "Where" magazine. It's been a long time since I read this but as I remember it pretty closely mirrors the results of the Golden Plates. More disappointing than satisfying was the common trend. Finally we just came to our personal opinion that these things are "fixed".

I like Chef Koo's suggestion about making our own poll and will be submitting my choices shortly. I've seen in other message boards a polling feature that I think would work great here. How do we get something like that added?

[canucklehead]

Could egulleteers not show a bit of culinary noblesse oblige and allow the unwashed masses who read the Georgia Straight to vote for Anton's, Cobbs Bread, Milestones and The Cannery and any other damn place just as often as they would like?

Are we not secure enough in our roles as elitist foodies to permit those less fortunate to amuse themselves with polls of this sort?

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Actually - I would love to see a true people's choice award and get a view what kind of food city we have. I don't think that egullet is nearly as elitist as precieved - we just happen to be more vocal about it. I mean - Chambar served 14,000 during DOV (all at one location!) - pretty populist really. But between ballot stuffing and (as Jamie pointed out) preselling results - I am not sure if the Golden Plates are really valid as a gauge of what people like.

I don't judge too harshly though, the business of filling restaraunts and getting advertisers is tough. I take the list for what it is - entertainment. I certainly read with more interest what their critics had to say (though some of the writing was so clever - it bordered on cryptic).

But in all seriousness - are'nt there trucks mounted with hoses to at least spray the great unwashed masses? I think that the Vancouver Club is starting a charity to give out moist towelettes at the Arbutus Club - which, as any old boy will tell you, is truly crawling with the plebian masses

[chef koo]

Could egulleteers not show a bit of culinary noblesse oblige and allow the unwashed masses who read the Georgia Straight to vote for Anton's, Cobbs Bread, Milestones and The Cannery and any other damn place just as often as they would like?

Are we not secure enough in our roles as elitist foodies to permit those less fortunate to amuse themselves with polls of this sort?

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no we must beat these people into submission and make them fully realize how unsophisticated their palates are compared to our uber palates.

seriously though i'm secure. i just think it'd be fun. brian i like the sound of platinum.

[Keith Talent]

I wasn't going to comment further, but upon further reading and consideration, I think it's noteworthy to comment on the fact that Subway has finally been dethroned as best sandwich. Yes, the unending cruel tyrany of the Subway years has been replaced by a new regime, and if this decade has any unifying theme when viewed in the rearview mirror of history, I'm certain it will be regime change, unless of course Dolphins evolve opposable thumbs and become the dominat species on earth with in the next four years, in which case it'll probably be known as the Dolphin Years. Anyway, all hail the new Emperor of Sandwichs, I give yoy QUIZNOS. The people have spoken. And the people are idiots, but we all knew that.

Honestly though, I don't know why anyone is suprised. Look at any popular human activety, and you will see that mediocrity is rewarded far in excess of its' merit, whereas genius dies broke and alone. Have you ever looked at the TV ratings and noticed that "Everyone Loves Raymond" is a top rated show, yet is dreadful and unfunny and stupid? Same thing as here. You ever look at the music charts and notice that Brittney Spears sells more records than whoever you happen to thinks is good. Have you ever looked at the Publishing Best sellers list and noticed that Steven King and John Grisham sell more than Phillip Roth and Ian McEwan? In light of this, I'm suptrised that anyone is incredulous at the Golden Plate results. Populist tastes are almost always crap, lowest common denominator nonsense. It's the difference between being an afficianado and a mere consumer, the desire to only get the good stuff.

[*Deborah*]

*hesitating to admit that there is a Stephen King novel on my bookshelf (although almost all of Michael Ondaatje is there, too)*

Edited March 22, 2005 by *Deborah* (log)

[Ling]

I think my non-Egullet friends are the ones voting Milestones for "Best Appetizers".....they go nuts over the spinach and artichoke dip. Our friend who recently moved to Australia recently visited with her Australian bf (his first time in Vancouver), and insisted that we eat at Milestones for their first meal so he could try the fantastic spinach and artichoke dip.

[Ling]

*hesitating to admit that there is a Stephen King novel on my bookshelf (although almost all of Michael Ondaatje is there, too)*

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I have The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons. And I'm an English major. Oh my.

[BCinBC]

I agree with most of what Keith said, so to avoid the rush I hail our lords and masters, the Dolphins! But... I think the phenomenon of geniuses dying broke and alone is not as hard and fast a rule now. A roundabout way of me saying that not everything that is popular is crap (I think mostly because of the speed of information these days). The Stephen King example: is it great literature? F'ed if I know. Is it entertaining? Yeah I like his older writing. Horror appeals to the masses, but that doesn't mean all horror writers are bad. (Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Edgar Allen Poe...)

You are a consumer; you have to decide what the popular choice means to you.

Okay I've strayed into some sort of philosphical hole.

brian i like the sound of platinum.

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How about "Chef Koo's Platinum Uber Palate Awards"?

Edited to add: PS I hate Raymond too.

Edited 2nd time to add: I don't actually think S.King is a "genius".

Edited March 22, 2005 by BCinBC (log)

[*Deborah*]

*hesitating to admit that there is a Stephen King novel on my bookshelf (although almost all of Michael Ondaatje is there, too)*

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I have The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons. And I'm an English major. Oh my.

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I think it's OK to have Angels & Demons if you also have Foucault's Pendulum (and have read the former once, and the latter, a half-dozen times) *raises hand*

[canucklehead]

*hesitating to admit that there is a Stephen King novel on my bookshelf (although almost all of Michael Ondaatje is there, too)*

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I have The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons. And I'm an English major. Oh my.

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I think it's OK to have Angels & Demons if you also have Foucault's Pendulum (and have read the former once, and the latter, a half-dozen times) *raises hand*

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I think that these points are particularly true if you are eating at Earl's (to keep this thread on track and not bring down the forum gods on us).