On The Road With Fork & Glass For South Okanagan’s Banée…
April 18, 2011
I’ve just returned from four days up in the South Okanagan digging Banée, the annual celebration of the area’s of food and wine, and a visit to Miradoro, the new restaurant attached to Tinhorn Creek starring the skills of former Aurora Bistro owner/chef Jeff Van Geest.
The new restaurant is a welcome injection to a section of the valley that hasn’t enjoyed great fortune in the food department. Van Geest is cranking out high quality Mediterranean chow, everything from housemade chorizo to superb pizzas. It’s rare to get a capable room with a view even in Vancouver (too many nautical pubs and deep-fried clusterfucks), so to see another one shining up there was awesome. The patio overlooks the winery’s cool amphitheater (starring K-OS and The Odds this summer), and on a still clear day one can probably see as far as Guatemala.
Van Geest’s supper, paired with Tinhorn wines from start to finish, was outstanding. I missed his short tenure at Diva, so it had been a couple of years since I’d eaten any of his food. There may have been some inconsistency to his pizza crust (scant variant thinness from pie to pie), but damn if it wasn’t still first class (made with “00″ Caputo flour). I haven’t been to the Sonora Room at Burrowing Owl for over a year, but if memory serves, Miradoro has it beat. From the chorizo consomme with peas and grilled amputation of octopus to the forno chicken and sweet closing of deep fried custard, Jeff was ably swinging for the fences, and it was great to be a fence. It was also a fine thing to see owner Manny Ferreira happy about it. It was a long time coming (a few years in the making, for sure), but it was well worth the wait. Read more
Food Media Omnibus #539: The Everybody Eat Cupcakes Edition
April 6, 2010
Once again we present our weekly Food Media Omnibus, a collection of all our local food writer’s most recent works in print. Get clicking…
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The Georgia Strait dished its annual Golden Plate nods in this thick issue, with Angus An of Maenam getting his props on the cover. Quote of the century comes from Tyson Reimer, co-owner of Cobre and big cheese at Deacon’s Corner, on delivering pancakes (pancakes!) to Snoop Dogg’s hotel room:
“When we got in the elevator you could already smell the dope, and by the time we got to their floor it just reeked…the room looked like my basement in high school, it was so thick full of pot smoke….He [Snoop Dogg] had this big fucking canon joint in his hand, and he handed it to me. And I hadn’t smoked in like, 15 years, but it’s like if Keith Richards hands you a bottle, you take a pull—it doesn’t matter, it’s just something you have to do. So we took it and we stood there for a little bit looking a bit awkward and very, very white.”
There’s also a good article on the Chambar alumni by the one and only Tara Lee.
In the Westender, I recall some recent Cactus Club eats and make a short argument for the company’s 2011 invasion of the beach at English Bay. I also slurp pig testicles (so plump and juicy).
In the Vancouver Sun, Mia Stainsby reports that Vikram and Meeru are moving Vij’s to Cambie and opening a new concept in the original space. This quote gave me pause: “Yes, rumours that the much-celebrated Vij’s restaurant is moving are true.” If by “rumours” she refers to our reporting of this truth two weeks beforehand, we must have been unconvincing. Either that or she doesn’t read Scout. She does a better job, anyway. She’s more thorough and provides more info. In other news, Mia is apparently rumoured to have made a trip to the Four Seasons in Whistler to sample some infra-red cow fleiss, and supposedly dishes on the exits of West chef Warren Geraghty and Market chef David Foot. There were also some unconfirmed reports that she ate a couple of cupcakes. We could find no witnesses to corroborate her side of the story, so we ate cupcakes as well. Sadly, they proved nothing.
In Maclean’s, we learn that the Japanese fishing lobby sucks very, very hard, and probably slept with the most irregular of Tiger Woods’ mistresses.
In the Globe and Mail, Alexandra Gill reviews Corner Suite and uses the word Lilliputian to describe the soup (and now I love her more than ever).
Tim Pawsey drinks sustainably for The Province and weighs in on the future of blended BC wines in the North Shore News. Also in the NSN, Deana Lancaster drinks Hester Creek at La Regalade (and is momentarily lost for words).
Last but not least, Metro’s Anya Levykh reviews The Poor Italian, journeyman chef Gianni Picci’s new digs on East 1st.
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Food Media Omnibus #538: Oru In The Headlights & Pizza Hunting
March 23, 2010
Once again we present our weekly Food Media Omnibus, a collection of all our local food writer’s most recent works in print. Get clicking…
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The Vancouver Sun, CBC, Province, and CTV all report on Cactus Club winning the bid for the Parks Board restaurant space at English Bay.
In the Globe & Mail, Alexandra Gill reviews The Urban Tea Merchant on West Georgia and then Oru in the Pacific Rim.
In the Westender, I go on a search for great Neapolitan pizza (much harder than I thought).
In the Georgia Straight, Tara Lee writes about the growing family-style dining trend while Jurgen Gothe previews the Wine Festival.
In the North Shore News, Deana Lancaster goes on soup safari at Burgoo.
In the Vancouver Courier, Tim Pawsey investigates claims of Malbec being the new Shiraz.
In the Vancouver Sun, Anthony Gismondi gets ready to speed date wines at the Wine Festival while Mia Stainsby remembers 16 years of Dining Out For Life and reviews Oru (very positively).
Anya Levykh also dines at Oru in the new Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel and loves it as well (mental note: go to Oru).
Food Media Omnibus #537: World Press Dogpile Our Restaurants
February 19, 2010
From the Vancouver Sun: Team Canada carbo-loads at DB Bistro Moderne, with Sid the Kid scarfing two bowls of pasta and a glass or two of red (Macleans writes the same story); the opening of The Keefer gets noticed; Mia Stainsby serves up 25 must-do foodie observances and welcomes back Daniel Boulud;
From the Province: Earls gets bad press about autograts and price hikes. They aren’t alone. As we noted last week, it’s been pretty horrific at some places. I heard one Yaletown restaurateur had a bit of a defensive meltdown on the news when confronted about it. Anyone see that?
From the Straight: Pieta Wooley on our culinary icons changing with the times; Carolyn Ali loves Local Public Eatery in Kits.
From the Globe & Mail: Alexandra Gill nails a few price hikers/autogratters. My favourite part of the piece?
Is the short-term gain really worth the long-term pain these practices may incite? Greedy restaurateurs may want to consider this warning tweeted by Raul Pacheco (@hummingbird604): “2 those in food industry jacking up $ during Olympics. Others may forget I won’t & I have a popular blog,”
How awesome is that? Local restaurateurs better watch out for that Raul dude, whoever he is. His “popular blog” will break your fucking legs, bro. For real. Snap. Read more
Food Media Omnibus #536: Local And Foreign Gastro-Scribbles…
January 28, 2010
The lip-smackingly delicious "Chicken Lupo" at the very well-received (and reincarnated) Lupo in Yaletown
Sorry that we allowed this weekly feature to go to pasture in January. To make it up to you, we’ll try and start from where we left off with an extended omnibus mix of the month’s local food writing, with a few add-ons from global scribes at large. Enjoy. Read more
Food Media Omnibus #535: The Year’s 10 Best New Restaurants
December 21, 2009
Once again we present our weekly Food Media Omnibus, a collection of all the local food writer’s most recent works in print. Enjoy…
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They’re loving the Cactus Club in Edmonton.
In the Georgia Straight, Carolyn Ali does takeout turkey and Jurgen Gothe recommends the best local reds of 2009.
Elephant & Castle will open in Whistler’s old Milestone’s location. Run for your lives.
With the Olympics on the immediate horizon, news outlets around the world have been making mention of Zagat’s well-timed launch of their new restaurant guide to Vancouver. Special congrats to local food writer Tim Pawsey, aka the Hired Belly, who (if I’m not mistaken) once again supplied the word meat on the page bone. It”s just too bad ABC News can’t spell Araxi. Read more
Food Media Omnibus #534: On Ghosts, Whores, And Gangsters
December 10, 2009
Scout (2009): two staff members expedite at one of the Irish Heather's Long Table Series' suppers in Gastown
Once again we present our weekly Food Media Omnibus, a collection of all the local food writer’s most recent works in print. Enjoy…
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In the Vancouver Sun, Joanne Sasvari reviews Fishworks on the North Shore and Shannon Kwantes enjoys South Surrey’s new “Tap”.
In the Westender, I check out Mis Trucos on the Davie strip.
In the Globe & Mail, Alexandra Gill returns to review Coal Harbour’s Irashai Grill.
In the Georgia Straight, Judith Lane points out some great lunch spots (I’m dying to test drive Cru for lunch).
In the Vancouver Courier, Tim Pawsey dishes on wine label art.
The West End’s infamous Maxine’s Hideaway is destined for the wrecking ball to make room for apartments. Sniff. It’s an interesting read – full of ghosts, whores, tunnels, gangsters, and sugar magnates.
The San Francisco Chronicle’s travel editor pays Vancouver a visit, dines at Stepho’s (WTF).
The National Post tries to steer young chefs into “casual fine dining” chains. Er…don’t.
In the North Shore News, Deana Lancaster sizes up C Food, the new cookbook from C Restaurant, and Mangia with Quattro, the new cookbook from Quattro. Read more
Food Media Omnibus #533: If Main St. Fire Opened Door For Earls…
November 19, 2009
The morning after the Main St. fire that destroyed Slickety Jim's, Zocalo, Kishu Island Sushi, and Lugz.
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In the Westender, I take in the simple comforts scene at Timbre on Commercial Drive.
In the Georgia Straight, Tara Lee talks boozy sauces, Jurgen Gothe goes off on an entertaining wine-making philosophy safari; and Craig Takeuchi writes a para on Robson’s frenetic Donburi-ya.
In the Vancouver Courier, Tim Pawsey writes up Chambar’s new signature beer.
In the Globe and Mail, Alexandra Gill falls for Gastown’s new hotspot, Pourhouse.
In the North Shore News, Deana Lancaster reports on a Cornucopia lunch with Crave/Fraiche chef Wayne Martin.
In the Toronto Star, we learn that seal meat lands on the menu at Parliament Hill (psst…Liberation BC…go fetch).
In the Vancouver Sun, Denise Ryan tries to get the tears a-flowin’ over the fiery death of Slickety Jim’s with a line-up of old school brunch alternatives. It’s kind of hard when another Canwest story thinks the fire happened in a “strip mall”. They should be more careful. With such provocative language, they might attract an Earls. Read more
Food Media Omnibus #532: Eating Egg From Raymond Louie’s Face
November 5, 2009
In the Westender, I review Gastown’s new Pourhouse.
In the Globe and Mail, Alexandra Gill reviews 8 1/2 (the old Soma location).
Tim Pawsey blasts City Council liquor by-law fumbling in the Courier.
Meanwhile in the Georgia Straight, the input of Annette O’Shea of the Yaletown Business Association on the liquor by-law debate totally baffles: Read more
Food Media Omnibus #531: Local Restaurants Ripped & Reviewed
October 26, 2009
In the Westender this week, I review Au Petit Chavignol. If you’ve never been, go. I freakin’ loved it, and have been on a fondue jihad ever since…
In the Globe & Mail, Alexandra Gill returns to review Yaletown’s Charm Modern Thai (it ain’t all that pretty), while Chris Johns gets pretty darn clairvoyant in his Gold Medal Plates predictions.
In the North Shore News, Deana Lancaster reviews Persepolis.
In the Vancouver Sun, Mia Stainsby reviews The Buzz, a cafe inside Harrison Galleries on Homer, and highlights the work of the BC Chefs Association on the downtown east side. Read more
