Wild Rice, Andrew Wong’s trend-setting downtown room at Vancouver’s Pender and Carrall streets, has closed. Wong has decided to focus his energies entirely on Wild Rice Bistro at River Market, in New Westminster. I’m sure he’ll do well at the centre of such a rapidly growing region. If you haven’t yet made the trip to River Market, […]
Il Giardino, Umberto’s much lamented restaurant, which he closed last spring to make way for redevelopment, may well resurface just up the street. It appears that once Umberto realised just how much Il Giardino really meant to people he wasted little time in seeking out a new home for his flagship, long running room. I’ve […]
If you’re a regular visitor here (and if you’re not, why not subscribe?!) You’ll know that I have a lot of time for what goes down at forage. (1300 Robson St., Vancouver, 604-661-1400) Right now they’re in the midst of Dine Out madness—serving upwards of 200 customers per night. No surprise that it’s popular, considering […]
The Hired Belly is happily ensconced at Hy’s Encore, cosseted in the city’s most cherished culinary time warp. On the rare occasions I get to Hy’s, I hunker down in a cozy banquette and marvel at such an unabashed anachronism. There aren’t too many places where you can still drink in the ‘old’ Vancouver but […]
You will no doubt be horrified to learn that the Hired Belly can be fickle, even, occasionally, weak-willed—especially when it comes to certain foods. Nevertheless, I’ve learned over the years that the path of least resistance is usually the most prudent course of action. The other day I found myself on the corner of Broadway […]
Dine Out adds up to a whole lot of tasty fun that can save you a bundle of money—especially if you do your homework. But there are some ground rules—that can really make it a better experience for everyone • Do: Show up for your reservation… In Dine Out’s early days, a lot of people […]
How about toasting The Year of the Horse with a brightly adorned bottle of Okanagan Pinot Noir? While several BC wineries have turned their attention to Hong Kong and the broader mainland Chinese market in the last couple of years, few have pursued the significant Canadian Asian market here at home. No surprise that first […]
UPDATED, Jan 16, 2014. The Trouble with Dine Out Lists… Is that you’re guaranteed to miss not only a few worthy restos but likely many. So be it. However, here, in random order (i.e. as I think about them or hear about them from reliable sources), is my “Mea Culpa” list of add ons—that probably should have […]
The Fish Counter (3825 Main St., Vancouver, 604-876-FISH [3474]) is the latest endeavour from celebrated Canadian Chef Robert Clark, with business partner Mike McDermid, long time fisheries expert, marine biologist and former program manager at the Vancouver Aquarium. Clark and McDermid’s combined talents add up to a wealth of experience. Clark was the trailblazing chef […]
Vancouverites are notorious for not crossing bridges, which may be one reason why I don’t get to West Vancouver’s La Regalade more often. Four of us made it there the other night, to be rewarded by a wealth of rustic flavours, ample portions, good service and overall great conviviality. Our table was right across from […]
