Food and Tell » Word on the street

The Charles Bar

jonathan — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 01:00:24 +0000

I arrived early at the Woodwards complex for the anticipated opening of the Charles Bar only to be told by an unnamed food blogger that we were leaving immediately. Apparently despite the enticing concrete and wood, the cactus club/earls vibe and menu was not working for her. I insisted on a beer and looked around a bit. I like the room and above the bar is an enormous TV that will pack the place during sporting events. The Charles offers various seating areas including some comfy booths, and I think it will do well with the built-in customer base of the Woodwards and SFU. It does not fall into the ranks of the stylish drinks places in gastown and it does share DNA with sticky commercial bars and have an uninspired bar menu. But it still offers the area something it doesn’t have already, and if all it does for me is keep hockey lovers out of the Diamond, I still welcome it.

note: There is the matter of the so-called French Fry Bar, which I did not see and fear due to its dangerous implications. I will have to go back to check it out.

The Charles Bar
(604) 681-2114
Gastown
136 West Cordova Street
Vancouver, BC V6B
www.thecharlesbar.ca

Glowballs

jonathan — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:45:42 +0000

I have grown so accustomed to excellent cocktails in Gastown and the impeccable bar service at the Diamond, L’Abbatoir, Boneta, the Pourhouse and others that I was literally shocked at Glowbal in Yaletown. I expect douchbaggery at such places, but with such inflated prices and attitude, I was offended when the bartender was too busy flirting with the wait staff to notice his customers and when white wine was poured with such contempt that it had head. Indelicate cocktails were being thrown together and poured over huge quantities of horrible ice and served with straws and I shuddered at seeing whip cream being used to obscure shot glass monstrosities. Glowbal bills their restaurant the essential Yaletown experience and I am not one to disagree. See you guys in Gastown.

sunday bbq action at six acres

jonathan — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 04:53:12 +0000

Six Acres
203 Carrall Street
Vancouver, BC V6B2J2, Canada
(604) 488-0110
sixacres.ca

Refreshing Pint at the Acme Cafe

jonathan — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:31:44 +0000

Richman’s where to eat in NYC

jonathan — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:24:01 +0000

Alan Richman, holder of 14 James Beard Foundation Journalism awards and famous writer for GQ, dishes on which restaurants to visit in New York for high cuisine. Anthony Bordain wrote an entire chapter titled “Alan Richman Is a Douchebag,” so he is clearly someone worth listening to.

The Four Seasons Restaurant (99 East 52nd Street, 212.754.9494)
“Not just the grandest and most beautiful restaurant in America, but perhaps the most spectacular ever. Eat here, and you’ll understand class. The death last summer of longtime chef Christian “Hitch” Albin and the recent departure of chef Fabio Trabocchi means that the culinary direction might be changing a bit, but you can expect American classics. Just don’t expect them to be inexpensive.”

La Grenouille (3 East 52nd Street, 212.752.1495)
“More than merely a year-round flower show for hungry horticultural societies. Indeed, the dining room is always in bloom, but more and more I appreciate the haute French cuisine, formidable and laudable. If only the wine list were as impeccable as everything else on the premises.”

Le Bernardin (155 West 51st Street, 212.554.1515)
“Eric Ripert is a genius with fish. The products are wonderful, the cooking faultless, the service masterful, and the sommelier (Aldo Sohn) rated the best in the world. Once, Le Bernardin was a French restaurant specializing in fish; now it’s a fish restaurant where not much is French, other than an insistence on culinary flawlessness.”

Veritas (43 East 20th Street, 212.353.3700)
“France might reign as the capital of winemaking, but New York is the capital of wine drinking. Not many restaurants anywhere have a list as heralded as the one here. (When you reserve, ask to have it emailed to you; otherwise, you might need an hour to look over the 3,000-plus choices.) While the wines have never been underrated, the excellent young chef, Gregory Pugin, tends to be.”

Marea (240 Central Park South, 212.582.5100)
“This Italian seafood restaurant seemed fully formed the moment it opened early in 2009, and it offers so many choices you’ll think a fishing armada had set sail to stock the kitchen. Nobody eating Michael White’s food ever complains that there’s nothing of interest on his menus. Don’t miss the fusilli with red wine–braised octopus and bone marrow, magnificent with a glass of red wine.”

Reported in the James Beard News

Photo from cookingissues.com’s awesome Skal Project

$150/lb fermin iberico bellota ham

jonathan — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:41:11 +0000

Spotted at Jezalin’s in the new mixed retail space Limelight, this $150/lb ham looked more like art than food. Next time I will try some.

Wikipedia says, “This ham is from free-range pigs that roam oak forests (called la dehesa) along the border between Spain and Portugal, and eat only acorns during this last period. It is also known as Jamón Iberico de Montanera. The exercise and the diet has a significant impact on the flavor of the meat; the ham is cured for 36 months.”

How to open wine with a shoe (when a corkscrew wont do)

Jonathan — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:34:30 +0000

Originally via wimp.com

4 reasons to dine in during Dine Out Vancouver

jonathan — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:19:55 +0000

With Dine Out Vancouver upon us, many people are scrambling for reservations and trying to decide where to eat. After years of falling into this trap myself, the argument I am making now is that the only decision worth making is the decision to dine in during Dine Out. Here are my reasons why.

1. The Menus are Different (read: worse)

So you have always wanted to try a certain restaurant and you book during Dine Out. What happens when you get there? Chances are the restaurant will have a fixed price menu put together for Dine Out Vancouver. So how are you really trying out a restaurant if you are eating off a menu created specifically for the high-volume, low-price event? You aren’t. Want to order off the regular menu during Dine Out? Sure, you can do that, but the prices are the same as usual, and kitchen is swamped. Good luck.

2. The Atmosphere is Different (read: worse)

Popular restaurants are jammed full for Dine Out. Your first time to a fancy French restaurant? Unlike the other 50 weeks of the year, you might be stuck standing in the entrance for half an hour waiting for the tables to get turned, and you might get thrown out before you are ready to leave. Dine out creates a circus atmosphere in participating restaurants that is not representative of the restaurant during the rest of the year, and is another good reason to stay away.

3. The Service is Unprepared & Uninterested (read: bad)

Watch Kitchen Nightmares? What happens when you take a restaurant used to a measured pace of service, and then change the menu and pack it like an ACDC concert? In short: bad service. I have had trouble even getting a drink during Dine Out at a restaurant normally known for its service, during a meal that cost > $100 per head. Why bother?

4. The Diners are Culinary Tourists

The dine out crowd comes out to try new things that they usually can’t afford. This means that the restaurants are packed with customers who are generally paying less than a usual customer, and who are likely not coming back anytime soon. This creates a strange atmosphere in the restaurant, and demotivates beleaguered staff to really care. They are getting paid less to work harder and deal with a bunch of yahoos they won’t see again. You can’t blame them.

In summary, after a number of negative Dine Out experiences at restaurants I know are good otherwise, I no longer participate in Dine Out Vancouver and I can’t figure out why high end restaurants do either. There are some exceptions, such as Chambar, who ditched Dine Out last year, saying “Experienced Dine Out patrons know that the two-week event often means limited menu choices, surly service staff, and quick turns on the tables.”

I might be wrong. Chambar might be wrong. But could Chambar AND I both be wrong? Impossible. Do yourself a favor and book that restaurant you’ve always wanted to try during a regular service and enjoy it thoroughly. Leave the circus to people who don’t know any better.

Photo Credit: Sirwiseowl on Flickr CC-BY-NC

The extra mile from La Quercia

jonathan — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 23:03:42 +0000

I was walking down a long block on 4th yesterday afternoon, heading towards Alama. I shared the sidewalk with a couple approaching me in deep discussion. Way behind them a shape emerged and I made out a man in a chef’s jacket running full-out, the sight eerily similar to Robert Irvine in the Food Network’s Dinner Impossible. It did seem an impossibly long sprint and I had to wonder what kitchen disaster preceded this. I soon learned that he was coming from La Quericia, and that he had managed to make room for the couple in the dining room. They all happily made their way back to the restaurant, while I ducked into the BC Wine Store. It was an amazing display of enthusiasm and athleticism in the name of good customer service. Just one more good reason (among many) to quench your craving for fine Italian cuisine at La Quercia.

La Quercia
3689 West 4th Ave Vancouver, BC
Email: Info@laquercia.ca
Phone: 604-676-1007

Cooking with BC’s Best Market Dinner

jonathan — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:30:37 +0000

I was excited to read on VanFoodies.com about the “The Cooking with BC’s Best Dinner Series” put on by Edible BC. These events are offered a couple times a month, offering exclusive access to some of BC’s leading chefs. The dinners are held in the Granville Island Market after hours, which is really cool if you ask me. Many of the events are booked up now, but there is still a lot of choice. Dinner costs $89 for most events, and as Frank at VanFoodies points out, it is like a high-end version of the Irish Heather’s Long Table Series.

2010 Market Dinner Schedule –
See the whole, exciting list at: Edible BC

Events with tickets left at the time of writing:

Monday, April 19 – Locals Comox Valley – Chef Ronald St. Pierre
Tuesday, May 25 – Hart House – Chef Kris Kabush
Tuesday, June 8 – Pastry Chef Wendy Boys
Tuesday, June 15 – Sustainable Seafood Evening – Chef Eric Pateman
Tuesday, June 22 – Sol Kitchen and Windset Farms – Chef Dana Reinhardt
Wednesday, August 4th – Chef Afke Zonderland – Raw Food Feast
Wednesday, August 11- Bacchus Restaurant – Chef Lee Parsons
Tuesday, August 24 – Wild Rice – Chef Andrew Wong
Tuesday, September 28 – Culinary Capers Catering – Chef Jonathan Chovancek
Tuesday, October 12 – The Beach House Restaurant – Executive Chef Michael Cameron, Executive Sous Chef Joe Duprey, Executive Pastry Chef Steve Hodge
Friday, October 22 – Whisky Dinner with Cask Strength and Eric Pateman
Tuesday, October 26 – Vij’s & Rangoli – Chef Vikram Vij – Tickets by Lottery
Tuesday, November 23 – Araxi Restaurant – Chef James Walt
Tuesday, December 7 – Holiday Entertaining – Chef Eric Pateman

Photo Credit: Photo by Stephen Chang on Flickr, CC-BY-NC-ND