Food Media Omnibus #261

Get your food media crack with our weekly distillation of who wrote what in city print and what’s being said on the local blogs:

What’s being said in print

• Carolyn Ali visits Robson’s still newish Chau in the Georgia Straight.
• Craig Takeuchi goes searching for Japanese breakfasts in the Georgia Straight.
• Mia Stainsby gives good marks to the new Irish Heather in the Vancouver Sun.
• Patricia Best talks up the upcoming star chef-studded “Senza Frontiere” dinner being put on by The Chef’s Table Society at Cioppino’s in the Globe.
• Alexandra Gill is not too impressed with the recently opened Miku in the Globe.
• Kristen Thompson discusses the opening of Lumiere and db Bistro Moderne in Metro.
• Anya Levykh slams Piato in Metro.
• Holiday tips from sommelier/restaurateur Tom Doughty (Fuel, Campagnolo) in the National Post.
• Warren Geraghty, West, and the West cookbook get some action in the Canadian Press.
• Tim Pawsey is impressed by Voya in The Courier.
• Michael White asks local chefs what they’d want for Christmas dinner in the Westender.
• I visit Finch’s and scarf baguettes in the Westender.

What’s being said on the blogs

• Eat, Snap, Repeat dishes on Taiwanese cuisine.
• Vancouver Eats reviews Glowbal and visits Chambar.
• Vancouver Slop goes on a first date to Le Faux Bourgeois.
• Tiny Bites makes a list of places to enjoy high tea.
• Butter On The Endive gets into the holiday spirit and makes a holiday ham.
• Everybody Likes Sandwiches tells us how to make hot spiced tea.

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.

Food Media Omnibus #257

I’ve spent most of this early evening doing something I haven’t done in weeks, which is read what my colleagues in the local food media have been writing. It feels nice at long last to be have a few moments to skim lines that aren’t in CSS code, and better still to be able to start nailing down an actual editorial schedule (I love how launching in beta affords you the chance to mess around like that).

By request, we bring you the Food Media Omnibus, a weekly collection of the local food media stories that have made it onto the internets. Feast up, my lovelies, and don’t forget to tip your server…

“Jean-Georges readies to rumble with Boulud”
This week in the Globe and Mail, serial sensationalist Fiona Morrow tries to start a flame war between Jean Georges Vongerichten and Daniel Boulud. Giggle. What else can you do with neither restaurant open?

“This meaty baby was a long time coming”
Food writer Alexandra Gill falls for Davie’s simple and Euro-themed La Brasserie (couldn’t agree with her more). Their suckling pig is straight up awesome.

“Nuts About Sea Urchin”
The National Post’s Brian Hutchinson profiles two delicious Vancouver gems, sea urchin (uni) and the Blue Water Cafe’s executive chef Frank Pabst. Pabst, you’ll recall, won the Vancouver Gold Medal Plates competition last week plating urchin (the same dish photographed for the story). Very odd that his victory wasn’t even mentioned (Scout video here).

“Hawaiian Cuisine In Vancouver? Scarce But It’s Here”
In the Vancouver Sun, Mia Stainsby continues to seek out story threads better than anyone working the food beat. Hawaiian in Vancouver? Who’d have thunk it. Wait, that’s Burnaby and Maple Ridge! Sneaky Mia. She doubles down with another story on Hawaiian food here.

“Shaken, Not Stirred – A New Twist On A Bond Favourite”
No byline on this Vancouver Sun piece that details how Nu Restaurant makes their “Vesper” martini. Very handsome picture of Chad fingering the drink, though there’s no excuse for his bow tie (c’mon Chad – did Harry put you up to that?).

“I Went For The Food, But Found Whistler Instead”
Ever since she flew to New York to blog for the Vancouver Sun about Daniel Boulud and the coming of the new Lumiere, Shelley Fralic has been salivating so hard that I’m beginning to think an intervention of some kind might be in order. I’ve never tasted Boulud’s food, so I’m assuming she’s on to something rather just on something. Anyway, she’s back at it again, this time describing a Boulud meal while in Whistler during Cornucopia last weekend. I admit it sounded freakin’ awesome (everyone I spoke to were pleased), but the screen shot above of her blog’s “tag cloud” tonight suggests she may be in need of a restraining order…

“Poster Boy Documents Decade Of Getting Plastered”
In the Courier we discover that Rob Edmonds, kick-ass Aussie-born graphic designer and partner with David Nicolay in the award-winning interior design firm Evoke (think The Cascade Room, Habit, Glowbal, Sanafir, FigMint, and several other local restaurants), has published a book of his concert posters called “Plastered on the Street”.

“Family that wines together shines together”
Tim Pawsey introduces us to Stefanie and Bernd Schales of Summerlands’ 8th Generation Winery.

“Five Great Places For Malaysian Food”
I had no idea that there were that many, did you? The one and only Bag Head, Mr. Mark Laba, lists off Tamarind Hill, Orchid Delight, Jonker Street, Seri Malaysia Restaurant, and Banana Leaf in The Province.

“A Tasty Tale Of Two Dinners”
Deana Lancaster of the North Shore News details dinner at Araxi and The Bearfoot Bistro during Whistler’s Cornucopia. She was one of my dining companions at both dinners, so it’s nice to see we’re totally on the same page. Chefs Walt and Craig certainly outdid themselves, and the wines…egads…just amazing (Scout video here).

“Restaurateurs Bracing For Leaner Times”
Ontario’s Business Edge gets down to the brass tacks of how restaurateurs will have to adapt in order to survive the coming tough economic times. Shorter version: more comfort food.

“Vancouver Tofu Makers Give Soy A Fresh New Appeal”
Tara Lee (yay Tara Lee!) investigates the local tofu shops in The Georgia Straight, making mention of who supplies whom with the little white gelatinous blobs that I’ve never really been able to tolerate.

“Elixir As Sweet As Ever”
And last for the omnibus this week is my review of Elixir in The Westender. Loved it.

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