Another Hard Game Of “Guess That Restaurant” (Solved)

In case you missed the last one, which no one answered correctly, it was The Naam. No hints for this one, either. Best of luck to you. Read more

Smoke Break #742: On Punk Not Being Dead In The Forbidden City

When the Olympics came to China the world spotlight turned to a country synonymous with human rights abuse and by any measure a totalitarian police state. But under the surface is a growing movement of punks and misfits, the irony of which is not lost on Jefford as he roams this rebellious sub-culture a scratch under the surface of bustling Beijing.

This trailer is blocked in China.

The Message To Vancouver City Hall From Anthony Bourdain…

My friend Miguel recently loaned me his copy of Anthony Bourdain’s new book Medium Raw. It was a bit of a rambler, jumping from his sordid past to his comparatively shining presence, but one passage stuck with me, ringing as it does very applicably to Vancouver in the wake of City Hall’s recent baby steps toward bringing street food to local curbs (led by Councillor Heather Deal). Let me preface it by saying that I’ve been pretty hard on them in recent months – perhaps even hysterically so in some recent media interviews, saying among a great many other unkind things that our municipal government’s “.22 caliber imaginations were insufficient for our .357 Magnum city”. What I haven’t been is very constructive, and I regret that. So I offer this Bourdain snippet in the hope that it might prove useful to them if they really do want to cement Vancouver’s reputation as one of the world’s most exciting food cities. In the middle of discussing the impact of the recession on restaurants in New York, Bourdain writes,

If any good comes out of all the pain and insecurity, I can only hope that the Asian-style food court/hawker center is one of them. This institution is way overdue for an appearance (on a large scale) in America. Scores of inexpensive one-chef/one-specialty business (basically, food stalls) clustered around a “court” of shared tables. When will some shrewd and civic minded investors (perhaps in tandem with their city governments) put aside some parking lot-size spaces (near commercial districts) where operators from many lands can sell their wares? Sharing tables, as in classic fast-food food courts? Why, with our enormous Asian and Latino populations, can’t we have dai pai dong – literally, “big sign street”, the Chinese version of the indigenous food court, like they do in Hong Kong – or hawker centers, like in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur? Or “food streets,” like Hanoi and Saigon? The open-to-the-air “wet” taco vendors and quesadilla-makers of Mexico City?

Food preparation areas could be enclosed, as they are in Singapore, so food handling and sanitation issues can hardly be an unsolvable impediment: Singapore is the most rigorously nanny of the nanny states – with the most vibrant hawker culture. The hawker center could be an answered prayer for every hard-pressed office worker in a hurry, every blue collar worker on a budget, every cop on a lunch hour, as well as obsessive foodies at every income level. “Authenticity”; artisanship; freshness; incredible, unheard of variety – and for cheap? All under one roof? This, let us hope, is at least part of our future – whatever happens.

I usually won’t reference Singapore as a positive (not least because one small narcotics offense comes with a mandatory death sentence), but if they can do it, we most certainly could, too. Indeed, why stop at mobile food trucks?

Award-Winning “Bishop’s” Seeks Dedicated Kitchen Applicants

Job Posting by Scout supporter Bishop’s

Vancouver, BC | Bishop’s Restaurant is looking for dedicated individuals with a professional attitude for the positions of garde manger and entremetier. Please send resumes to bishopsrestaurant@telus.net. Learn more about the restaurant after the jump… Read more

Cool Thing We Want #418: Office In The Middle Of The Forest

While Scout’s new office in Strathcona offers some pretty cool perks (one can skate off writer’s block on a 10ft wide half-pipe), I can’t help but envy the setting enjoyed by those working for Spanish architecture firm Selgas Cano in Madrid. Theirs is built right into a forest’s floor. Check out more images of these desirable digs by Iwan Baan after the jump… Read more

Field Trip Photo: On Packing Up And Getting Back To Work

Our annual late-summer winding road trip through the Okanagan Valley and across the breadth of Vancouver Island to Tofino has come to a close. However much I tried to regularly post via iPhone, reception was pretty spotty in most of the places we went. Admittedly, this was largely by design, plus I was having too much jolly fun to bother. I’m glad to report that dear Westy (pictured above at our Tofino campsite) survived its 21st long haul under our broods’ care and is still not the least bit worse for wear (400,000kms and counting). We have hundreds of lovely photos to compile for a post on our journey (coming soon), but in the shorter term it’s back to the magic grindstone of print deadlines and daily updates right here on Scout. Thanks for sticking with us.

“House Wine” Consultancy Team Joins The Scout Community

Michaela Morris and Michelle Bouffard’s local wine consultancy company House Wine is now a proud member supporter of Scout. We will be publishing their news and press releases on our front page and hosting a page for them in our list of recommended food and wine industry resources. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their support of our little website. Click ahead to view their Scout page… Read more

Adesso Teams Up For Dinner With Laughing Stock Vineyards

News from Scout supporter Adesso Bistro

Vancouver, BC | On Thursday, September 9, Adesso Bistro welcomes Jonas Greig, Assistant Winemaker of Laughing Stock Vineyards, for an evening of delicious Italian fare paired with Laughing Stock wines. Executive Chef Sean Sylvestre has crafted a five-course menu that stays true to Adesso’s Liguria-inspired culinary approach. Fresh Qualicum Beach Scallops, Albacore Tuna and Pasta Genovese start the meal, followed by an entrée choice of Lamb Ribeye or rich Vegetarian Risotto. A Mascarpone and Maple Torta with Syrah-poached late summer fruits caps the meal. Each course will showcase a glass of wine – including Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Portfolio (Bordeaux blend) and Syrah – from Naramata’s Laughing Stock Vineyards. Tickets are available by calling the restaurant directly at 604.568.9975. Menu and details after the jump… Read more

Tea & Two Slices: On The Murder City And Golden Endorsements

by Sean Orr | Murder City. I thought maybe finally the Courier had opted for the ‘blood and guts’ slant of their parent company…

In fact, Crime is down in Vancouver. That cannot be good for the Province. Better put some angry parents on the cover.

One final award for 2010 Olympics. Bucky Gunts wins an Emmy. I’m pretty sure they pre-recorded this one just so they wouldn’t have to announce that name live. But seriously, congratulations Vancouver, you deserve an Emmy. I just thought we’d get it for best actor.

The Olympic-sized myth of golden endorsements. I thought our athletes participate for their love of country, not endorsements. How naive I must have been.

Seniors like news showing young people in bad light. Well that explains the entire editorial slant of the Vancouver Sun. (Hey ed. can I get like an interactive midi rimshot that people can click on after reading each one of these?)

John McLachlan: What I really think of the B.C. Spirit Festival idea. YES.

Smoke Break #741: Visualising The Number Of Threats To Earth

Gulp. This new and exquisitely unnerving animation is a view of the solar system showing the locations of all the asteroids and Near Earth Objects “discovered” over the last thirty years.

As asteroids are discovered they are added to the map and highlighted white so you can pick out the new ones. The final colour of an asteroid indicates how closely it comes to the inner solar system. Earth Crossers are red. Earth Approachers (perihelion less than 1.3AU) are yellow. All others are green

Notice how the pattern of discovery follows the Earth around its orbit, most discoveries are made in the region directly opposite the Sun. You’ll also notice some clusters of discoveries on the line between Earth and Jupiter. These are the result of surveys looking for Jovian moons. Similar clusters of discoveries can be tied to the other outer planets, but those are not visible in this video.

As the video moves into the mid 1990’s we see much higher discovery rates as automated sky scanning systems come online. Most of the surveys are imaging the sky directly opposite the sun and you’ll see a region of high discovery rates aligned in this manner.

At the beginning of 2010 a new discovery pattern becomes evident, with discovery zones in a line perpendicular to the Sun-Earth vector. These new observations are the result of the WISE (Widefield Infrared Survey Explorer) which is a space mission that’s tasked with imaging the entire sky in infrared wavelengths.

Currently we have observed over half a million minor planets, and the discovery rates snow no sign that we’re running out of undiscovered objects.

But not to worry, darlings. Jupiter has all our backs.

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