“The Diamond” Now Accepting Students Of Proper Cocktailery

The Diamond is located in the heart of Gastown at 6 Powell St. overlooking Gassy Jack Square | Di6mond.com

News from Scout supporter The Diamond

Vancouver, BC | The Diamond in Gastown has launched its long anticipated spring program for their Preparatory School For All Things Drink. Designed for rookies and pros alike, the next course begins on May 31st. Details above.

Western Living Mag Announces Its “Top 40 Foodies Under 40″

In their new issue, Western Living magazine has tapped a brigade of young Canadian food, wine and restaurant types for their annual Top 40 Foodies Under 40 feature, calling them a “new generation of passionate chefs, restaurateurs, food producers, wine and spirits experts and activists who are helping to define and change the way we eat in Western Canada today.” I am humbled to be included among them, with the sterling likes of Karri and Nico Schuerman (owners of Chambar, Cafe Medina, and Dirty Apron); Andrea Vescovi (sommelier at Blue Water Cafe); Craig Noble (film maker, Tableland); Angus An (owner/chef of Maenam), and many more who are 40 times more deserving than I.

Vancouver’s Best Bartenders Let Loose With Beer And Booze

Yesterday, local bartenders were asked to craft cocktails incorporating beers from Whistler Brewing Company in a timed competition. Held at The Refinery, the showdown included efforts from fifteen barkeeps in all, which meant my palate was in for something of a rude ride for over three hours (I was judging). Much fun was had, and some of the drinks were very impressive. Here’s what it looked like from my end, a recap of who made what with which ingredient and how it looked through a blender of tasting notes and photos. Thirsty? Giddy-up… Read more

Rejoice! The Diamond Officially Open In Gassy Jack Square…

It’s official, The Diamond is open. Full press release after the leap: Read more

Official Curtain Rise On “The Diamond” Imminent In Gastown…

Josh and Geoff get ready to roll at much anticipated Gastown cocktail and noodle joint, The Diamond

The opening of the long-awaited Gastown property “The Diamond” is officially imminent. The room looked clean and shiny for the final test drive yesterday but natural enough to appear as if it had been there and well looked after for decades. Lots of dark wood and natural light, chandeliers at the ready should the sun ever fall. Music extra super. Food tested and solid. This place is ready to go.

Final Test Drive

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I munched on togarashi spiced nuts and sipped some Kentuckiness before making buddies with the gyozas. These were well-wrapped gifts of intense flavour made in miniature with Sloping Hills pork. A little salty, but that’s how I like ‘em. Two orders later and I think they’re much better than the inconsistently cooked, greasy, wondrously addictive love dumplings that get over-peddled along Robson’s west end (how I adore them so), and a little cheaper at $5 per half dozen. Smart.

I thought they’d be doing miso or shiso ramen with tonkatsu (a la Kintaro), but found soba, somen, and glass noodles instead. Oh well. I opted for the latter in lemongrass broth and had my small disappointment washed away (you must smell this bowl).

Cocktails are excellent. Had a sour made with a wee Talisker. Still happy about it…

Scroll below and clickety to see how a diamond gets made.

Friends & Family Party

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Under Construction

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Introduction

All Anticipated Openings

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“The Diamond” In Gastown: The Friends And Family Sneak Peek

The Diamond just held a private friends and family reveal. I brought my camera and went flashless a la whiskey. To see the first pictures of the pretty much finished space, head over to The Diamond thread at Table Talk and spy with the trade.

For more on background of the space and owners Sophie Taverner, Josh Pape, and Mark Brand, click here in our list of anticipated openings.

The Diamond Construction Shots

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The Diamond Interview

All Anticipated Openings

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Anticipation Poll: The Diamond, Corner Suite Or The Pourhouse

This is a tough one. I’m looking forward to all three of the following options, and have the utmost confidence in their individual abilities and relative likelihood of success, even in a shit poor economy. But if I had to pick just one…gosh…I just couldn’t do it. Here, you do it.

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For those requiring some background…

The Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe

Propreitors Steve Da Cruz and Andre McGillivray with executive chef Anthony Sedlak,

Opening day: early July

From the Anticipated Openings list (LINKAGE):

Former Boneta co-owner and Le Crocodile/Lumiere/Chambar managerial alumnus Andre McGillivray has partnered up with barman Steve Da Cruz (Boneta and most recently on the wood at Gastropod). Together they’ve secured the old Piccolo Mondo location (most recently Saveur) at 850 Thurlow, just off the Robson drag. They’re releasing no details on the concept or the plan just yet, but with the players involved I think it’s safe to assume that we might be looking at a cocktail-forward and service driven joint with very good food. I’m imagining a downtown cousin of Chambar and Boneta. The bigger news is that the executive chef is going to be none other than Anthony Sedlak, local boy and star of the Food Network show, The Main. This is Anthony’s first executive role, which means this is likely just as exciting for him as it is for his legions of fans.

The Diamond

Josh Pape and Mark Brand, co-owners of The Diamon (not pictured is their partner, Sophie Taverner )

Opening day: May 2009

From the Anticipated Openings list (LINKAGE):

With principals that are among the city’s top bartenders – Mark Brand, the 2006 Van Mag Bartender of the Year and co-owner of Boneta; ex-Chambar bar manager Josh Pape; and Sophie Taverner, formerly of The Cascade – they could have called themselves The Ghengis Khan Soda Shack & Swizzle Bar and they’d still likely open to a sustained packed house. Located upstairs at 6 Powell St overlooking Gassy Jack Square, the sixty seat bar and restaurant is called The Diamond. They’ve picked up Christie Peters (ex-Feenies, Chow) and Pierre Natarani (ex-Feenies, Boneta, Medina) to run the small, easy Asian-themed kitchen (gyozas, ramen, etc), and Chambar’s Charles Ainsbury is on his way down to join the bar team as well (the world’s youngest Bartender of the Year, from Australia). The business is a two fronted thing, with days seeing it run as a bartending school, something that will hopefully help elevate the bar scene from its rye and coke doldrums. They’ll also be offering spirit seminars to folks who want to sip and learn prior to heading out on the town, not unlike the many wine tasters you might see at Salt just around the corner. But it’s from 5:30pm until midnight (Thurs-Sun) that The Diamond will likely shine brightest.

The Pourhouse

Opening day: late summer 2009

From the Anticipated Openings list (LINKAGE):

It’s about time the journeyman settled down! He’s worked a lot of places over the years (and has accrued a great many of fans and regulars), so this has the reassuring ring of permanence to it. I just spent a week with him in Kentucky on the Bourbon Trail, so I’ve seen first hand how much he appreciates his spirits (it’s terrifying).

So where’s the new place going to be? According to an email from Jay, it’s “the old Flux location in Gastown, just southeast of the Steam clock.” There’ll be 160 seats in total, with 25 at the bar. The concept? “Spirit focused, back to basics drinking and eating.” Huzzah!

Regular readers will recall the flame out of Flux, the concept-less joint at 162 Water St. that tried (if I recall correctly) to mix chocolate with sushi. I always thought it was a prime location, and ripe for folks with either solid name recognition and talent or people with lots of money to buy both. Jay will knock it out of the park here.

Jones’ partner is executive chef Chris Irving, who worked at the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino and West before moving to the UK to toil under the direction of Marcus Wareing and Gordon Ramsay at Restaurant Petrus in London.

All Anticipated Openings

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New Pics Of Gastown’s Highly Anticipated Room, “The Diamond”

For background editorial, photos, and video of The Diamond, the much-looked-forward-to new Gastown project from a hallowed trio of Vancouver’s best bartenders, clickety here. For the sweet new set of sneak peek photos snapped just yesterday… Read more

Bartenders Opening “The Diamond” In Gastown

Regular readers may recall that we made mention of a new Gastown project a couple months ago involving some well known players. Since then, however, it has sat on Scout’s Anticipated Openings™ page, gathering internet dust under the title of “Gastown Secret”. For real, the owners have been so mightily secretive about it that we were even discouraged from commenting on the address. Some of you may have forgotten that it was even in the pipe. I’d advise against that, for tonight we’ve accrued a fat enough file to finally share the scoop. And dang, it’s a goodie… Read more

Something Wicked This Way Comes

There’s a few hurdles left to cross on this one so I can’t say much beyond it’s in Gastown and it’s being brought to us by bartenders Mark Brand, Josh Pape, and Sophie Taverner. Stellar supporting cast, too. More news soon. Pics taken just minutes ago…

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