Work Hazard #812: On Loving Restaurants That Kill People…

Our national paper positively reviews a restaurant thought to be responsible for dozens sick, one dead in Toronto

The one thing that worries me whenever I write anything destined for print is how devilishly circumstances can change in the time between writer submission and actual publication. By “change” I mean anything that makes my work irrelevant, inaccurate, or just plain wrong…

Read more

Vancouver’s Food Scene Written Up By Chris Johns For “Fashion”

My friend Chris Johns (former food editor of enRoute – read the Scout interview) has put together a pretty bang-on snapshot of Vancouver’s best and most iconic restaurants for the upcoming September issue of Fashion magazine (you can read it here). Given the outlet, the feature is unsurprisingly molto staccato. He does not go into much in the way of detail about the restaurants that turn his well-oiled crank. Nevertheless, the rooms mentioned are each worthy of exceptional note. They are Tojo’s, Chambar, Cafe Medina, Vij’s, Lumiere, DB Bistro Moderne, Go Fish, Nu, Bishop’s, Blue Water Cafe, Market, and the upcoming Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe.

Q&A With Food Writer Chris Johns

This is the 37th interview of what will eventually amount to 500 profiles of people who have made life in BC that much more interesting. At the rate we’re going it’ll take three years, at which time we’ll probably just start shooting for 1,000.

Once or twice a week Scout poses 60 questions to a different individual. They pick and choose which ones they’d prefer to answer, with a minimum response rate of 20. It’s some sort of Rorschach test, for sure…

Chris Johns is one of our favourite Canadian food writers. You can often find his work in Macleans, enRoute, The Globe & Mail, Vancouver Magazine, and many other publications. Read more

Top Indian Food Critic Killed

Sabina Sehgal Saikia, the food critic for the India Times, was staying at Mumbai’s plush Taj hotel for a wedding reception when the terrorists struck on Wednesday. The large fire at the hotel – a result of the attacks – largely gutted the floor she was staying on. She texted her husband early Thursday morning, saying she was trapped in the washroom, and that was the last time she was heard from. Her body was recovered from her room this morning.

Sabina, consulting editor with the TOI and a noted food critic, had been SMSing her family and friends till past Wednesday midnight, after which they lost contact with her.

A massive fire has gutted major portions of the floor she was in. Till late Friday night, her husband Shantanu Saikia, who is also a journalist, was “hoping against hope” that she would be found alive. But that was not to be.

Sabina leaves behind her husband and two children – a daughter aged 14 and son aged 11.

She had texted her husband for the last time at 2 a.m. Thursday to say she was trapped inside a bathroom.

Sabina had gone to the hotel late on Wednesday to attend a wedding when terrorists stormed the hotel, firing at guests and holding several hostage. The standoff between the terrorists and security forces ended on Saturday morning.

Food Media Omnibus #259

Coming to Vancouver – a meal worthy of Barack Obama, courtesy chef Daniel Boulud – Mia Stainsby calls Boulud for the Vancouver Sun:

Surprisingly, this giant among restaurateurs is nervous about the Vancouver openings.

“I’m more intimidated opening in Vancouver than in New York. It’s not my home here and I’m going to have to work it out, make sure it’s coming together the way I want it to. You’d be surprised, for me, being from New York – certainly I’m globally exposed, but every time I talk about myself, I talk about Vancouver. People think very highly of Vancouver as a city. With all that, I want to live up to the reputation for the people of Vancouver.

“It’s part of me now.”

From fine dining casualty to casual dining royalty – Tim Pawsey on the Cactus Club in The Vancouver Courier.

Two Chefs’ Railtown dishes are comfy, but plain – Anya Levykh visits Two Chefs and a Table in Metro.

Leisurely lunch recommendations for the holidays – Judith Lane gets around in the Georgia Straight.

Celebrated chef Vikram Vij shares his holiday secrets – Mary Nersessian for CTV.

Party on for Christmas – Carla Wilson says companies are still booking for parties this holiday season despite the economic downturn in the Times-Colonist. Is that purely inertia or a last hurrah?

Friends of farming face the future – Glenda Luymes for The Province.

No fall hibernation for Uli’s – Michelle Hopkins goes to White Rock’s Uli’s for the Vancouver Sun.

We ordered seared calamari (I think) – Alexandra Gill harumphs at West Vancouver’s Matteo Modern Greek Kitchen in the Globe and Mail. I’ve heard the place sucks.

City restaurants offer the perfect holiday party venue – And lo, in my Westender column I ask Kurtis Kolt to sit on the communal table at the Salt Cellar.