Anti-Foodie: On The Evolution Of Sexual Suggestion In Booze Ads

It went briskly from a bottle of Campari poised between Salma Hayek’s breasts to a Bulgarian model being attended to in a restaurant by a man under her table. Which begs the question, which brand will do hardcore first?

Barman Shaun Layton To Barrel Age Two Classic Cocktails…

by Andrew Morrison | What’s the longest you’ve ever waited for a drink in a bar? Ten minutes? Twenty? Yesterday afternoon I learned that Shaun Layton, the 2010 Van Mag Bartender of the Year and Lord of the Wood at Gastown’s L’Abattoir, was about to start making a drink that could take as short as six weeks and as long as four months to adequately construct. In a first for Vancouver, a barman will age a cocktail in a whiskey barrel. It’s been done elsewhere (Montgomery Place in London, as Layton points out, and at Clive’s in Victoria, as reader MR reveals in the comments), and the results have proven especially interesting for drink wonks. For my part, I find the idea of a couple bottles of sweetened gin mutating unpredictably with hardly inert bitters for months on end inside a 3 gallon whiskey barrel to be straight up fascinating. As a fan of both drinks in sum (and of all their delightful parts), I can’t help but be freaky curious as to what they will taste like. Layton will be checking as time goes by, waiting for the perfect time to stop the woody infusion and load the mix into a few carefully considered bottles. Cooler still, he’s secured two barrels from Tuthilltown distillery in New York’s Hudson Valley: a bourbon cask and one that, until recently, contained a Yankee single malt.

And so, to soak in the bourbon barrel will go a Negroni, the ultimate aperitif of gin, vermouth and campari, whilst the single malt staves will impart mystery unto a Martinez, that maraschino-licked classic of gin, sweet vermouth and bitters (the original Martini, if the lore is to be believed). The experiment begins Wednesday, and we’ve invited Mr. Layton to keep us abreast of how things develop as the drink evolves.

PS. I’ve already called shotgun on the second sip.

Gastown’s Lovely “Pourhouse” has Joined The Scout Community

Gastown’s Pourhouse 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 restaurants to check out. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their support of our little website. Click ahead to read on or jump directly to their Scout page here… Read more

Photos: “The Waldorf Hotel” Is Looking Sharp On East Hastings

by Andrew Morrison | As mentioned last week in a press release, the new and – by the looks of it – much improved Waldorf Hotel is to be christened this weekend. We’re very excited, not least because of the awesome people involved, who were this week joined by former Salt Tasting Room manager and 2010 Sommelier of the Year, Kurtis Kolt (interview). There’s so much going on at this address that it’s hard to fathom fully in its as-yet-unfinished state. But all the pieces seem to be fitting together nicely, down to the analog speakers, rooms, cafe, salon, bar, gift shop and refreshingly left-field tiki vibe. The only hiccup that I know of is that the main restaurant will be delayed until at least Dec. 1st (no worries, as this venue is hardly a one room wonder – food and drink will still be in abundance).

Today, in anticipation of their Halloween opening, I took one of our cameras (not the best, sorry) down for a tour and probably – if only briefly – interrupted a thousand crucial things for which I apologise (much appreciated, Ned and Ernesto). After the photos, check out their late night, room service and cafe menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner… Read more

Grand (Re)Opening Of The Iconic “Waldorf Hotel” This Saturday

The Waldorf Hotel is located at 1489 East Hastings and will open at the end of October, 2010 | www.waldorfhotel.com

News from Scout supporter The Waldorf Hotel

Vancouver, BC | We are pleased to announce the relaunch of the Waldorf Hotel. To celebrate, we’re throwing a free multi-room Halloween party on Saturday, Oct 30th. The event will showcase the entire complex including our newly renovated hotel rooms and lobby, two dining areas, a freshly restored 1950s tiki bar and both nightclub and banquet spaces (the Cabaret and the Leeteg Room). The night is being produced in collaboration with some of Vancouver’s most interesting artists and musicians. Read the full program listing after the jump… Read more

Waldorf Hotel To Hold Job Fair This Saturday On East Hastings

The Waldorf Hotel is located at 1489 East Hastings | Opening October 2010 | www.waldorfhotel.com

News from Scout supporter The Waldorf Hotel

Vancouver, BC | The Waldorf Hotel, designed in 1947 by architects Mercer & Mercer, was remarkable from the beginning for its modernist style. In 1955, capitalizing on an emerging interest in Polynesian culture, the complex was transformed into one of North America’s most renowned “tiki” themed bars and hotels. A post-war phenomenon, tiki culture was rooted partially in the nostalgic tropical memories of returned soldiers but also in the erotic fantasies of a middle class fascinated by the exotic and forbidden. The original architects reworked existing interiors, creating a space dedicated to artifice and escapism.

In 2010, Musician Thomas Anselmi (Slow, Copyright, Mirror) and restaurateur Ernesto Gomez (Nuba) took over operations of the Waldorf and are working with architect Scott Cohen (designer of Gastropod, Les Faux Bourgeois) to reimagine the property. Collectively this team has a vision to develop the Waldorf into a creative hub in the heart of East Vancouver where contemporary art, music, food and culture convene under one roof. The programming for the space will be both artistically expansive and thematically inclusive. Read more

Photos: Kris Krug Inside The Upcoming Waldorf Hotel Redux

These gorgeous, vignette shots of The Waldorf Hotel come courtesy of my friend Kris Krug of Static Photography. If you haven’t heard jack shit about this killer re-imagining of this ancient east side joint, here’s the skinny. Press play and enjoy…

The Charles Bar Has Joined The Growing Scout Community

The Charles Bar, brand new to Gastown, 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 places to check out. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their support of our little website. Click ahead to read on or jump directly to their Scout page… Read more

Waldorf Hotel To Go Boutique With Refit & New Restaurants…

This is so rad that I have goosebumps and its like 29 degrees here in the vineyard’s shade…

The 63-year old Waldorf Hotel at 1489 East Hastings, originally designed by Mercer & Mercer in a (then) modern style, has been picked up by restaurateur Ernesto Gomez (Nuba, etc), architect Scott Cohen (Gastropod, etc) and musician Thomas Anselmi (Copyright, etc). They are now in the midst of renovating the iconic but much neglected 30 room hotel with a complete concept/branding overhaul and “boutique” status being the ultimate goal. We were given the exclusive details a couple of days ago.

Here’s the choice pull quote from the creative brief:

In 1955, capitalizing on an emerging interest in Tiki Culture, the complex was transformed into a “tiki” themed hotel. Original architects Mercer and Mercer restyled the existing decor, replacing the minimalist features of their original design with an exotic motif influenced by tribal cultures of the Polynesian islands. The newly renovated Waldorf quickly became known for providing a unique dining and entertaining experience that included authentic Polynesian cuisine, art, music and dancing. Catering to an affluent clientele of executives, citizens, visitors and guests, the hotel was an immediate success. This prosperity continued up until the 70s when, as the neighborhood found itself in decline and it’s clientele began to shift down market. Several attempts to revive the hotel in the subsequent years have not been successful at restoring its iconic status [...] The group see potential to re-enter the market as a boutique hotel, targeting a different clientele. A dominant trend in the hospitality industry over the past ten years, boutique hotels have emerged as a popular option for smaller sized properties looking to appeal to customers who wish to have a unique experience when visiting a hotel. In the local economy there are high-end hotels that have a “boutique” strategy but none that cater to a mid-range customer. In many other markets this positioning has proved very successful, examples include: The Drake in Toronto, The Ace in Seattle, The Jupiter in Portland. The Waldorf aims to offer the same type of cultural experience for a midrange price creating a totally unique positioning for itself in the local economy.

In addition to their aesthetic and creative assets in Cohen and Anselmi, the partners have brought in chef Ned Bell of Kelowna’s Cabana to lead the food and beverage side of the operation. If you’re notfamiliar with the guy, he was once upon a time a sous chef to Rob Feenie and a Food Network star in his own right. I’ve known him for a few years now and he’s got serious game. His new playground will see a 120 seat “value-oriented” cafe showcasing hotel classics and Pan-American street food at Nuba prices (ie. cheap), a 60 seat dining room for Basque and Southern French fare at bistro prices, and a 100 seat patio (arriving next summer) serving Mexican seafood from an outdoor grill. On the Liquor Primary side, they’re keeping the 97 seat Tiki bar as close to the original as possible with exotic drinks and DJs spinning vinyl on an all-analogue stereo system featuring vintage Lansings Hartsfield speakers.

If that wasn’t kickass enough, they’re also creating a state of the art multi-media performance hall licensed for 300 people and playing host to the new location of Barbarella, the popular Main St. salon and barbershop. Throw in multiple projectors playing looped films throughout the building, a recording studio in the basement, and regular gigs of live music, theatre, comedy, and performance art, and you have a hurricane of change coming to East Hastings. The official launch will see a 3 day opening party on the weekend of Halloween.

Like I said, goosebumps…

I’ll be going into much more detail in a upcoming Vancouver magazine article on the current eastward gravitational pull of our restaurant scene, so that’s all for now.

All Anticipated Openings

Celebrate BC Craft Beer at Homegrown Heroes Cask Dinner

The Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe Collaborates with Five Local BC Breweries this May 12th, 2010

News from Scout supporter R&B Brewing Co.

Vancouver BC | On Wednesday May 12th at 7:30pm, The Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe and R&B Brewing Co. present the Homegrown Heroes Cask Dinner. Five local BC Craft Breweries, including R&B Brewing Co, Crannog Ales, Steamworks Brewing Co., Vancouver Island Brewery and Spinnakers Brew Pub, will each present a cask beer to pair with one of five courses prepared by Chef Jason Leizert of The Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe. Homegrown Heroes diners will indulge in five courses including R&B Saison poached Foie Gras Terrine with pickled prune paired with R&B Psycho Saison Belgian Ale, Boudin Blanc with pomme puree & grainy mustard sauce paired with Crannog Gael’s Blood Potato Ale, Sablefish Collars, rhubarb galette, stinging nettle beurre blanc paired with Steamworks NXNW Pale Ale, braised Oxtail Pot Pie, flowering brussel sprouts, poached organic egg yolk, bacon jam paired with Vancouver Island ALT and Cocoa Nib chocolate truffles & 5 year aged cheddar from Quebec paired with Spinnaker’s Oatmeal Stout. Tickets for the dinner are $80 and will include a commemorative tee shirt exclusive to the Homegrown Heroes Cask Dinner. Full details after the jump… Read more

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