City Food Magazine - All Aboard - The Transcontinental

FEATURE ARTICLE - (posted June 21, 2007, 9:07 a.m.)

ALL ABOARD - THE TRANSCONTINENTAL

In about two weeks time, the Transcontinental will arrive at the old CP Railway terminus at the Waterfront Station on Water Street.

This sounds like we are referring to a train, does it not? Well, almost.

The Transcontinental will be a brand new, 8,500 square foot, 307 seat restaurant that will occupy the SE quadrant of the prominent Gastown building.

“What?�? we can almost hear you thinking. “Yet another upscale, big box restaurant for downtown? Another trendy restaurant in Gastown? Haven’t we got too many choices already?�?

Well, yes, and no. Obviously the restaurant scene in Vancouver is a red hot competitive scene right now, and the search for trustworthy craftsmen and construction contractors, reliable staff, and customers who will stay loyal and not flock off to the newest hype magnet is going to be any new restaurateur's challenge, if not his nightmare, over the next few months, or until the weaker entries are pushed out of the market.

It's certainly not a climate that is as favourable to the “young chef�? or �?young couple with a dream�? as it has been in the past. In today’s hyper ventilating real estate market, few independants can afford to open restaurants on a shoestring. Most of the newest restaurants are either extensions of money men’s egos, created to enhance the real estate value of nearby condominium developments, or built as expensive sandbags by already established restaurant groups to prevent their long time customer base from draining off to the new competition. Sometimes a new restaurant is a justification for all three.

But the Transcontinental, will have one thing going for it that most other corporate funded newcomers lack – an atmosphere of era and place that not only directly channels the history of its venue, but is rooted in the the beginnings of Vancouver itself. ... CONTINUE READING ...

(This excerpt is a first draft for an article which will appear in the Summer 2007 issue of CityFood Magazine.)

Filed in RESTAURANTS/Restaurant Profiles

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DINE AND DASH - (posted June 21, 4.0 p.m.)

Great Flying Kiwis! Well, actually, kiwis can't fly, but fans of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and lamb chops should still be excited to hear that the land of the long white cloud has gotten a little closer in time. Air New Zealand is about to initiate direct flights between Auckland and Vancouver beginning in November. Oh man, we can hear those sheep jokes now.

Get ready to polka, Italian Kitchen may be holding their opening party bash as early as August 1.

The Loden Hotel is about to release some news concerning their in-house restaurant Voya - stay tuned.

Why did this take so long? Someone has started a website that is like a cross between Craigslist and YouTube featuring homemade videos of stuff people want to unload. Whether you are in the market for beer making classes, a handmade tea pot or need to quickly hire a cougar for a formal dinner party, thanks to the vids on RealPeopleRealStuff you can see exactly what you are getting and witness some of the very funny pitches that go along with them. No surprise that it didn't take the real estate people long to jump on this one. There's no special section for Vancouver as yet. But as the sign says, "post an ad and there will be."

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TODAY'S PRESS RELEASES

Toratatsu Japanese Restaurant is now open.

A culinary road trip through the BC menu at Coast Restaurant.

A BC summer menu at Glowbal Grill.

Filed in TODAY'S NEWS/ Press Releases / Greater Details

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