Metro’s Anya Levykh goes nuts for Market in the Shangri-La, saying she’s finally found the restaurant to cater her wedding. Oh, honey…

Gourmet gives us eight great Vancouver izakayas. No Gyoza King?

MSNBC covers the Canadian Culinary Championships in their business section (?). They’re loving winner Hayato Okamitsu in his hometown of Calgary. The National Post profiles silver medalist chef Frank Pabst of Vancouver’s Blue Water Cafe.

A writer for Australia’s “The Age” gets a culinary tour of Vancouver, courtesy of Tourism BC. I love how they steer visitors to Blood Alley instead of Joe Fortes.

Judith Lane goes in search of “under the radar” restaurant personalities in the Georgia Straight.

In the Westender, I review Market by Jean-Georges in the new Shangri-La hotel and then go hunting for fish and chips with the kids at Mr. Pickwicks.

Deana Lancaster sniffs out the best best dining deals in the North Shore News.

In the Vancouver Sun, Gillian Shaw writes a puff piece on Umberto’s Tuscan cooking retreat. The two reader comments on this story include “Why is this newsworthy, and I think the Umberto must have dropped a little cashola to the editors to run this fluff piece. C’mon – have some ethics and stop producing this gratuitous slop! Shame on you….” and “How much did Menghi pay for this advertisement?” Ouch. If they’re right, I’m afraid they still have some work to do in paying down parent company Canwest Global’s $3.9 billion debt, which is threatening to steer the media bohemoth into bankruptcy.

Tim Pawsey likes the new Gastown diner Deacon’s Corner in the Vancouver Courier (my review is here).

Fiona Morrow writes up delicious Redbro in the Globe and Mail, and Alexandra Gill subjects herself to Joey’s Wine Room and the new Earl’s (much braver than I).

In the new issue of Vancouver Magazine, Michael Harris does diners (reader email: “I hate to say it, but this made me miss Jamie Maw!”).

Boneta’s Mark Brand lobbies City Council hard for an extension of Vancouver’s liquor serving hours, where ears are deaf and extraordinarily dumb. The Tyee does a superb job covering the meeting:

Councillors got snappy near the end of the 17-speaker list. Especially when speaker Mike Mitton posed the scenario of Councillor Heather Deal “going out to Bar None with her girls” where “someone would yell “COUGAR!” At that point, the entire standing-room only chamber erupted into howls…

Snap. Maybe it’s not so hot a plan to insult someone while asking them to do your business a favour…

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Andrew Morrison is a west coast boy who studied history and classics at the Universities of Cape Town and Toronto after an adolescence spent riding skateboards and working in restaurants. He is the editor of Scout Magazine, the weekly food and restaurant columnist for the Westender newspaper, a contributor to Vancouver and Western Living magazines, and a proud board member of the Chef’s Table Society of BC. He lives and works by the beach in Vancouver.

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