Q: Why are Vancouver restaurants so great?

[mamster]

David--

I live in Seattle and become inflamed with jealousy every time I come up to Vancouver. We have some pretty good restaurants here in Seattle, but nothing like the breadth and quality you've got up there.

So why is Vancouver such a great restaurant city despite its relatively small size? Is there anything Seattle could crib, short of luring you and Feenie and the rest down here on some kind of Microsoft-funded stipend?

[nightscotsman]

I was going to ask this very question! Sorry about butting in mamster

I was in Vancouver just last month and dined at Ouest (fabulous - the foie gras parfait with apple gellee was perfect and one of the most elegant presentations I've ever seen) as well as several other fine dining restaurants. Overall I thought the level of creativity, skill, presentation and service was definitely superior to most Seattle restaurants at the same level.

On one hand I'm glad it's not just me that has noticed this, but on the other... why don't you open a place down here and show the rest of them how it's done?

[d.hawksworth]

Hhmmmmm,

Interesting statement and it's not the first time that I've heard but I can't really put my finger on it. One way of looking at it maybe is that we are to have alot of European / Asian trained restaurateurs here, it's a nice place to live if you think about it. If you were moving to Canada from Europe and could live in Vancouver or back East were you need to keep every bit of skin covered during the deep freeze or it's so hot you don't know what to do with yourself, you'll be setting up shop pretty quick. But if Bill Gates wants to bend my ear ????