eatrustic's Profile
Where is the wow factor on Hawksworth?
I appreciate your loyalty Peter but (tired old rebuttal that it is) customers are paying full price for what you describe as a work in progress.
It's certainly daunting to juggle a hotel food service with all it's different facets but the brain trust had literally years to research, travel and work out the blueprint for Hawksworth. I know, I know it's all theory until you hit the ground but these are high functioning, well payed individuals with a huge budget behind them so the sympathy vote is not going to be very strong.
In the scheme of things what we have here is a fairly innovative high end restaurant run by a talented chef (certainly not an El Bulli level where the genre was being recreated on a daily basis). As such it boils down to professionals getting things working in a timely manner.
As for the noise problems: What really grinds me is when a restaurant with a seriously large budget (who obviously worked with pro designers) failed to either understand what any average person knows about surfaces and sound - or what is more likely sold out the diners comfort for an architectural statement. This happens time and again!
Even when you have to work with what is already there the means are available to create a comfortable and attractive ambiance with the aid of skilled professional acoustic engineers.
I give the local coffee shop/neighbourhood cafes a pass when they go noisy minimal to save on a skimpy budget but when I'm paying a higher ticket for entry it should guarantee me a more pleasant experience.
Rant over ;0
Bringing back the local butcher..Superior Halal meats, Richmond
Can't recall the cross street but there is a Halal butcher on No. 5 about half a block from the 24 hr Shopper's and various Indian restaurants and grocery stores. Is it the same one?
I've often wanted to go in and check those guys out but am never in need of meat when I go by. Is Halal in general as great as it is cracked up to be or does it vary greatly depending on the owner?
The guys you're talking about sound exceptional!
Patio dining - hidden gems
Old school but lovely (and pricey): Il Giardino
Just putting the finishing touches on a little hidden garden: Pronto on Cambie
La Pavoncella tomatoes in Vancouver?
My go-to Italian toms are the Emma brand. Don't buy the fancy San Marzano version just the regular whole italian plum tomatoes.
Always very consistent in size, ripeness and taste with a nice thick sauce. They're sold in numerous places like Santa Barbara on the Drive.
Cartems Donuterie - Anyone tried yet?
Hope we're not hijacking the title here but this may as well be all about donuts!
Top Pot is a pretty cool place on it's own - especially when you're on the way to Palace Kitchen! Like but don't love their donuts.
Now I'm hearing Lucky's Donuts from 49th Parallel will soon pull the wraps off their new store on Main St. They've been working on their recipes since before Cartem's got rolling so it should be a very interesting showdown for hipster fried dough supremacy this summer!
Pommery mustard in Vancouver?
Off the top of my head I'd bet that Meinhardt's or Gourmet Warehouse would be locks for it.
Backup plan for Vij's?
See if the hostess will take your name and number and if you're really lucky get them to call you when your table is almost ready. Then I'd beat it over to West a block and a half away and sit at the bar trying a couple of their fabulous cocktails (one of the best bars -and restaurant- in the city). They also have a new small plates program so you could munch on something while waiting.
That's how I like to travel - the most variety I can squeeze into a day!
Cru, Blue Water Cafe or Yew?
Nothing against Cru but they are not in the same class of restaurant as Blue Water. Cru is more of a cozy neighbourhood cafe/bistro and although they have seafood on their menu it isn't a specialty.
Blue Water is probably your best bet but I would pop into Yew when you get here just to see what you think. It's in the middle of the Four Seasons Hotel but has a nice open feel to it.
Another possibility is C restaurant -the other top seafood restaurant in Vancouver. Great location opposite Granville Island market (especially on a sunny day) and and they are the leaders when it comes to sourcing local and sustainable seafood.
Of the two Blue Water is the lusher setting and they are both in the top end pricewise.....
Fee's Brother's Bitters on the West side?
Yep, I had Legacy pegged from the start and possibly Meinhardts.
Fee's Brother's Bitters on the West side?
I've got a friend who lives by UBC looking for their orange bitters - will travel if necessary but might as well start closer to home of possible.
thanks
ISO Easter Ham - not too smoky..not too salty..
Thank you for the info! I'm definitely putting this on my list and it won't wait till next Easter!
top five places to eat near whyte ave (edmonton)
Did a family birthday dinner at Unheard Of recently and one of my siblings is obviously thinking of former glories as I have to agree with felix that it's past it's prime.
I'd let it go but the prices they charge deserve a comment....
Nothing really stood out from the dishes we tried and there were some seriously underachieving items like Pork Filet that was way overcooked and apps like Venison Carpaccio that could have been anything as they were killed by the condiments all over them.
The place could use some new blood if they want to get back on the plus side of this list.
Cibo Bistro
I've been to both but only a recent lunch at Cibo - so unfair to compare the two. It was a great lunch though! As mentioned above a fairly small but well done menu on a chalkboard.
We had the Bucattini with Pancetta, Tomatos, white wine "sauce" etc. - I love this style with a minimal dressing of perfectly cooked pasta.
We also had the Pulled Beef Sandwich with Tomato Jam which came with choice of soup or salad. We opted for the Arugula salad - a very nice portion and again everything was perfectly seasoned and interesting. Prices were very reasonable as well. I'm really looking forward to going for dinner.
From the look of the evening menu I'd say they can give Corso a run for their money. Dinner at Corso in January was good but marred with two portions of Beef Cheeks that were totally lacking in seasoning and although we didn't insist on sending them back there was little to no response to our friendly critique.
Halibut Season is here
I can never keep track as to when it starts and I was pleasantly surprised to see some stunningly fresh Halibut at Whole Foods.
God help me, I couldn't resist forking out $7.00/100gr :( for a couple of gorgeous portions but only this one time.
I've got beautiful baby sorrell and chives coming up in my balcony garden crying out to be added to a beurre blanc that will kill!
So, any sightings around town of fresh and more reasonably priced Halibut? I know it's early days and they can pretty well charge what they want but there can only be cheaper than WF.
Chantarelles in Vancouver
Costco has some nice looking country cuzzins of the Chanterelle - Hedgehog Mushrooms -at a great price.
Che Baba Cantina - tiny perfect
"I find it odd they would actually position CBC higher than LFB. "
The comment came from our server and it may have been only his opinion but he seemed pretty tight with the owners....
t-bone steaks-where can i find?
Just about any butcher shop carries them or will cut them for you. As to reasonable price? Try Beefway if you find local butchers are too expensive.
Che Baba Cantina - tiny perfect
The reply I got was the contrary, that Babba is clearly meant to be the upper level restaurant of the two as they are smaller and can do more detail oriented cooking. Having said that I think they are very careful in their price points knowing that they are an East Side neighborhood destination.
Yeah, when I saw the Yoga part I said "kiss the chance of a glass of wine goodbye and say hello to the herbal teas" but I was very pleasantly surprised.
Che Baba Cantina - tiny perfect
We were trying to come up with a Monday night dinner spot in the general area of Fraser and Broadway - Pizza Barbarella was closed as was Les Faux Bourgeois when my friend who lives in the hood suggested Che Baba. Sounded like middle eastern but I was game. Instead I got a really great little Euro bistro (or cantina as they call it).
Located in the same strip as Fo Bo and the hot new Matchstick (what a transformation of that block!) Che Baba is right at the end, formerly part of the tire shop from the looks of it. Now it's one half yoga studio and one half full service restaurant (about 25 seats) - the yoga part is completely separate.
The menu is small with a nice daily selection and decent list of wines by the glass and half liter.
I started with the Poached Pear, Endive and Gorgonzola salad - with a nice mustardy vinaigrette and a generous portion.
For the mains we had the Lamb Shank and Pork Belly both in the $18/$19 range and both were big portions, perfectly cooked and very good from the meat to the well thought out sides.
If I had to choose between Les Faux Bourgeois and Che Baba (same owners) I'd take Che Baba - cozier and the food is really good.
They're open 7 days a week from about 10:00 or 11:00 depending on the day. A place like this makes me really wish I lived in this part of town.
http://chebaba.ca/
Kits Happenings
As reported elsewhere a couple of major restaurant moves in the hood:
ReFuel has called it a day and sold the space to Trevor Bird a Top Chef competitor who will call the space "Fable" Best of luck to him. Last day for ReFuel is March 24!
The old DB Space on W. Broadway has finally gotten a taker in the form of the team from Q4 on W. 4th. They plan to do minimal changes and set up shop fairly quickly.
Nice to see some life back in that block as Thomas Haas must have been wondering why no one wanted to hang with him ;0.
In addition the surprisingly excellent Vancouver Olive Oil Company has added some more foodie depth to the block. Boutique oil stores like this don't usually work for me but anyone who brings in a rotating 6 or 8 of the freshest olive oils from around the world (following the harvest seasons) gets my attention.
They also have some really good balsamic vinegers, all on tap. I picked up a bottle of Serrano Chile Honey Balsamic that is absolutely killer!
Quick Takes on Visits to La Quercia, Abattoir, Ensemble and La Brasserie
I'm going to La Quercia tonight for diner with family so I'll report back.
I've had the Warm Steelhead Salad at L'Abattoir and it blew me away, totally unexpected as I thought the combo would be just ok when I ordered it.
Mussette Cafe - hidden away with an "interesting" model
I can see the connection to 49th Parallel as a lot of the brain-trust are cycling fanatics.
Where to try Canadian wine in central Vancouver?
These stores are a very good bet: http://www.villagevqawines.com/index.php
They only carry VQA B.C. wines (sorry no wines from Ontario). They have the same pricing as the Liquor board stores with a better selection. Tastings every Saturday.
Most of our better restaurants have a selection of B.C. wines and some that are exclusives.
Sorry but Happy Hour does not exist here for liquor.
South Granville Eating
Stopped in for a late lunch yesterday at Paul's Place Omelettery and I have to say they deliver in the comfort breakfast /lunch category. The place has aged very well, is immaculate and the food is good with great portions. Large selection of breakfast and lunch options.
I had the Corned Beef Hash with poached eggs and although it isn't the trad CBHash it's still very good and lots of it. Hadn't been in for awhile but I'll have to put them back in the rolodex. Closes at 3:00.
Where to shop
Ain't it the truth. Time to get a rabbit (for eating eventually of course).
Where to shop
"Wouldn't it be nice to be able to do everything in one stop!."
Man, is it really that big of a deal to shop in a few places? I mean isn't that the mentality that created big box stores that put so many of the smaller specialty shops out of business?
I get it if you have to go all over town for what you want but most areas East or West have a nice selection of shops that will give you what you need and I for one enjoy walking a couple of blocks to get my veg and then meat etc.
Let's face it; the savvy shopper will look for the loss leaders at places like Safeway, stock up and go elsewhere for better values. The same applies to all the other chains.
Whole Foods 365 organic dry Cannellini Beans -are they?
Has anyone tried their Cannellini beans? I just bought a package and they don't look or taste like the Cannellinis I've had (and brought back from Italy).
These beans look just like Great Northerns, instead of the more slender Cannellinis and are starchy and tasteless, the real thing is quite delicious.
An e mail to my local Whole Foods manager has not given me a reply so it's time to go to the braintrust!
Ideally I'd like Whole Foods to prove that their supplier is giving an honest product.
Best Burger in Vancouver - what's your vote?
What I meant to say was I asked if they could cook the meat to my specification i.e. rare, med rare etc.
The server said they could not do that but apparently that was not true.....
Best Burger in Vancouver - what's your vote?
Well, well. Looks like there's some staff training in order. I was in a couple of nights ago and the first thing I asked of my Aussie server was whether they could cook the meat to order and he almost blanched at the thought and then said they did not and could not.
Whatcha gonna do?
