Another Hard Game Of “Guess That Restaurant” (Solved)

In case you missed the last one, which no one answered correctly, it was The Naam. No hints for this one, either. Best of luck to you. Read more

Adesso Teams Up For Dinner With Laughing Stock Vineyards

News from Scout supporter Adesso Bistro

Vancouver, BC | On Thursday, September 9, Adesso Bistro welcomes Jonas Greig, Assistant Winemaker of Laughing Stock Vineyards, for an evening of delicious Italian fare paired with Laughing Stock wines. Executive Chef Sean Sylvestre has crafted a five-course menu that stays true to Adesso’s Liguria-inspired culinary approach. Fresh Qualicum Beach Scallops, Albacore Tuna and Pasta Genovese start the meal, followed by an entrée choice of Lamb Ribeye or rich Vegetarian Risotto. A Mascarpone and Maple Torta with Syrah-poached late summer fruits caps the meal. Each course will showcase a glass of wine – including Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Portfolio (Bordeaux blend) and Syrah – from Naramata’s Laughing Stock Vineyards. Tickets are available by calling the restaurant directly at 604.568.9975. Menu and details after the jump… Read more

Scout Jobs: “Tapenade Bistro” Seeks Commis And Chef De Partie

Job posting from Scout supporter Tapenade Bistro

Richmond, BC | Chef Alex Tung of Tapenade Bistro is currently looking for a chef de partie and commis to join his kitchen team. Tapenade Bistro has earned the reputation of being an exceptional neighbourhood bistro with great food, outstanding service and fantastic wine. The menu is steeped in French tradition, though is updated with west coast sensibility and is presented in an approachable and informal setting. The philosophy behind the Tapenade kitchen is to showcase the natural beauty of local, sustainable and seasonal ingredients in an appropriate and sumptuous manner. We’re looking for passionate people who are enthused by hard work, interested in learning all aspects/stations of the kitchen and takes pride in getting it done properly. Please forward your resume to bistrotapenade@gmail.com.

Scout Jobs: Two Chefs & A Table On The Hunt For Servers

Job Posting from Scout supporter Two Chefs And A Table

Vancouver, BC | Two Chefs and a Table are looking for servers to join our open kitchen concept. We offer locally inspired, sourced and quality driven food with a focus on house made ingredients.

We are looking for candidates with:

- a minimum of 3 years serving experience in a similar bistro or upscale dining room
- flexible schedule for Lunch, Brunch and Dinner service
- detailed wine knowledge
- spirit and cocktail basics
- exceptional service style
- excellent communication and organizational skills

Please email your resume to info@twochefsandatable.com (we will not be accepting resumes at the restaurant). To learn more about us, click after the jump… Read more

The “Hapa Izakaya” Joints Have Joined The Scout Community…

All three locations of Hapa Izakaya are now proud member supporters 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

Kits’ “Bistro Pastis” Venturing Through Auvergne and Gascony

News from Scout supporter Bistro Pastis

Vancouver, BC | Join us August 26 through September 22 as Bistro Pastis concludes its culinary ramble through France in the Auvergne and Gascony. The Massif Central, the rugged terrain of central France, informs the flavours of this region. Here are fast flowing streams fed by the Alps and sparse hills where sheep graze. Flavours here are big, bold and rustic. Look for Trout, succulent Lamb and Duck Confit. The dinner, like the season, ends with a touch of sweetness as you linger over a final digestif and relish the last of the red wine-marinated strawberries. As our summer draws to a close, you’ll be left with many happy memories of your virtual culinary tour through France and its Cuisine d’ Été. Find out all the details after the jump… Read more

Chambar, Tojo’s, Market & More Get Set For Night Of “Passions”

Scout is a supporter of the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation and a proud sponsor of Passions…

Since its inception in 2004, Passions – a Benefit for the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation has earned a reputation as Vancouver’s “Best Small Gala” and as one of Vancouver’s top events for food and wine lovers…and this year will be better than ever!

21 of Vancouver’s top restaurants will be taking part in this year’s event, including: Beachside Forno, Bin 941/942, C Restaurant, Chambar, Cibo, Cin Cin, Coast, Crave, Diva at the Met, El Barrio, Fraîche, Italian Kitchen, La Terrazza, Le Gavroche, Market, MIX the Bakery, O’Doul’s, Oru, Provence, The Observatory, and Tojo’s.

The event will also feature a selection of wines courtesy of New Zealand Wine, beer from R&B Brewing Co., coffee from Mogiana Coffee, and a martini bar provided by 1181. There will be both a live and silent auction, as well as live entertainment throughout the evening by Sangre Morena.

Gloria Macarenko (CBC TV) will be joined by Sophie Lui (Global TV) as emcees for the evening and Vancouver’s consummate man about town, Fred Lee (CBC Radio, Vancouver Courier) will serve as auctioneer.

This year’s event holds special significance, as it marks the 20th anniversary of the Dr. Peter Diaries on CBC Television. Beginning on September 10th and carrying through until World AIDS Day on December 1st, the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation will celebrate Dr. Peter’s legacy and introduce their vision for the next 20 years with a series special events and engagements. Passions will serve as the central celebration during this important period.

Passions – A Benefit for the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation
Date: Sunday, September 19th, 2010
Time: 6 pm to 9 pm
Where: Dr. Peter Centre
Address: 1110 Comox Street, Vancouver BC
Tickets: $200, available August 9th at www.drpeter.org or by calling 1.800.656.0713 (only 200 tickets available).

About the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation

Since 1992, the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation has continued the legacy of Dr. Peter Jepson-Young. The Dr. Peter Centre opened its doors in 1997 and cares for people living with HIV/AIDS. Operating a day health program and a 24-hour residence with palliative care and respite care services, it is the only program of its kind in Canada and is recognized as a leader in HIV/AIDS care. For more information on the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation, the Dr. Peter Centre, and Passions, please visit www.drpeter.org.

About Passions

The history of Passions traces back to 2003, to a small charity cooking class at Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks. A year later in 2004, the event was moved to the Dr. Peter Centre and christened “Passions.” Organized by Nathan Fong, this inaugural event featured nine chefs, 100 attendees and raised $7000. Under Nathan’s continued stewardship, Passions has since over tripled in size and has become one of Vancouver’s most popular food and wine events. 2009’s event featured 20 chefs, 300 attendees and raised over $100,000. In total, Passions has raised over $500,000 since 2004.

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

Cibo Trattoria To Host Supper With Sapo Bravo & Poplar Grove

News from Scout supporter Cibo Trattoria

Vancouver, BC | Cibo Trattoria will host an exclusive wine and producers dinner that celebrates the very best of BC food and wine. On Sunday September 5th, guests will enjoy a delectable menu crafted by Cibo’s talented Executive Chef Neil Taylor. Each dish in the five-course menu will feature organic produce from Sapo Bravo Farm, paired perfectly with the award winning wines of Poplar Grove winery. Poplar Grove Winemaker and guest speaker Ian Sutherland will delight guests as he introduces each wine pairing, and Gabriel Fernandez and Katie Brown from Sapo Bravo farms will share some of their unique farm practices. Read more

Yet Another Super Extra Tricky Game Of Guess That Restaurant

A sharp-eyed reader named “Kevin” got the answer to the first picture presented in this post (a wall detail shot in Everything Cafe) just a few minutes after we posted it. I’ve therefore put up another, which I think might prove a little bit more of a challenge. If you missed the last one from a couple days ago, it was Timbre on Commercial (what, not even you, Pablito?). Your new guesses after the jump… Read more

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