City Food Magazine - Italian Kitchen Opens, Neil Ingram, Boneta, Group of Seven Pastry, Chef Meets Grape, Church Mouse Rose, Sanafir, New Restaurant Issue

New release! The CityFood Magazine Directory of New Vancouver Restaurants for 2007.

We started this directory as a resource for ourselves - to help us keep track of all the new restaurants that have recently opened in Vancouver, and to monitor which ones we needed to pay a visit to. Then we decided to share all this information with you.

It may not look like it, but the project quickly turned into a daunting task, perhaps the most logistically difficult content we've ever attempted in the 15 years of our publication. At one point during the production process, it seemed like new restaurants were opening daily, and the statistical data about all of them was in a constant state of flux. (The city strike which forced many restaurants to delay their opening until fall, or else speed up their projected timelines, didn't help much either.) However, for what it's worth, this is the most complete picture we could assemble when the editorial was sealed a few weeks ago.

It already needs a few updates, natch, and there are more changes in store that are approaching quickly. So instead of posting the free and downloadable digital version via our website right away, we are going to hold this back for a week or so and let the printed version circulate while we make any necessary adjustments. After that, there will be another way to keep your print copy timely, and we will let you know how that will work after the long weekend.

In the meantime, we hope you find this print edition useful, and if you spot any inaccuracies you will let us know so that we can correct it on the website version.

Wishing you a fantastic, and sunny!, Labour Day Weekend!

____________________________________________________

DINE AND DASH
IT'S ALL IN THE NAME

You may have heard that Dennis Green, John Bishop's long time chef at the highly regarded Bishop's, has stepped back from the stoves at the Kitsilano restaurant, and that Chef Andrea Carlson (of Raincity Grill) has taken his place.

But what will Green be doing now?

As told to Judith Lane, he intends to spend the free time he never had before to develop a number of personal projects, one of them being a website and blog. Check it out at www.greenchef.ca

_____________________________________________________

RESTAURANT SPECIALS
F&*# OFF LIKE ROYALTY

To be or nut to be .... a little bird told us that wine guy about town, Neil Ingram, once had ambitions to play the Prince of Denmark -- and that he almost achieved this goal some moons back during a Lord Byng Secondary School's presentation of the Shakespeare pre-Prosac era drama, with author/journalist Hadani Ditmars (Dancing in the No-Fly Zone) cast opposite him as Ophelia.

Alas, t'was not to be. Contrary to the popular saying, the show didn't go on. Thanks to someone's quarellous appendix (Ingram's?), Hamlet never made it to the auditorium. Ditmars got herself to Iraq instead of a nunnery, and after a stint at National Theatre School, Ingram entered the hospitality industry.

Why are we not surprised. .... CONTINUE READING.

Filed in PEOPLE/Sommeliers

_____________________________________________________

NEW RESTAURANTS
ITALIAN KITCHEN OPEN AND COOKING

To celebrate the opening of their latest venture, Italian Kitchen, the Glowbal Group of Restaurants threw a red carpet party for 800 of their nearest and dearest last night.

SEE PARTY PHOTOS HERE
See menus HERE
See company press release HERE

Filed in RESTAURANTS/News and Rumours ... and MEDIA/Gallery

_____________________________________________________

UPCOMING EVENTS
A GROUP OF SEVEN: A THREE-DAY DESSERT EVENT
(Directly from the press release.)

Seven Vancouver pastry chefs have generously donated their time and desserts in support of the Vancouver Pastry Lecture Series. The fundraising event takes place at Canvas Lounge, 99 Powell Street in Vancouver, Sept. 6 through Sept. 8, from 5 p.m to 10 p.m. each day.

A special menu will include a selection of seven $7 desserts created by local pastry chefs:

Peter Fong of Ganache Pâtisserie
Kaeko Kanno of Kreation Artisan Cakes
Nancy McRae of Vancouver Community College
Thomas Haas of Thomas Chocolates and Desserts
Sam Shem of Canvas Lounge
Wendy Boys of Lumière
Leanne Bentley of Beyond Restaurant and Lounge .... CONTINUE READING.

Filed in CALENDAR/Food Events, Vancouver Only Events, September Events ... and RESTAURANTS/Chef's Specials.

_______________________________________________________

THE MEDIA HOUND
THE LOCAL INK

Our thanks to PR whiz, Cate Simpson, for the link to the following article in the Times Colonist. It's not the usual teacup image of BC's capital city, and it discusses an issue that Vancouver's Gastown restaurants also must address.

Restaurant Shuts Down, Blaming "Mayhem" on the Streets.
(Victoria Times Colonist - August 27, 2007)

The front page of the food section in today's Globe and Mail features a picture of Salt Tasting Room's Sean Heather looking like a mean algebra teacher. The photo illustrates an article describing the trend in Vancouver restaurants to return to classic, less complicated flavours.

Stop the Fusion (Globe and Mail, August 29, 2007)

Alexandra Gill reviews Davie Street's Majestic Restaurant and Lounge.

If you're out and about in Vancouver's gay village this weekend, don't be shocked to find a flaming drag queen in a glittery red gown stopping traffic in the middle of Davie Street.

That's the lovely Symone, host of Dressing on the Side, the fabulously fun Friday-night cabaret at the new Majestic Restaurant and Lounge. The show could more accurately be called Ladies on Top, given that the establishment's food, by comparison, falls as flat as an unpadded derriere.

Nice Legs, Shame About the Food(Globe and Mail, August 29, 2007)

"A Halifax liquor store has been pumping the scent of freshly cut grass into its beer section to evoke customers' positive feelings about cracking open a cold one on a hot summer day. The aroma of French bread wafts through the wine aisle, coconut conjures happy memories of beachside pina coladas in the rum section, while the smell of cedar fills the air near the whisky bottles ...."

Savvy Retailers are Learning How to Make Cents of Scents.
-- Victoria Times Colonist (August 27, 2007)

_____________________________________________________

UPCOMING EVENT
CHEF MEETS GRAPE - BC FOOD DESIGNED FOR BC WINE
(Directly From the Press Release)

Come taste the fresh flavours of BC, along with new fall releases from the Wines of British Columbia

It doesn’t get any more BC than this. For fans of BC food and wine, ChefmeetsGrape is a must-do! To be held on Thursday, September 20 from 7pm to 10pm at the Rocky Mountaineer Station in Vancouver. The event brings together fresh flavours of the province with BC VQA wines; wines that capture the essence of our province – bright, crisp and lively.

And who better to marry BC food and wine than BC’s top chefs? BC’s red-hot culinary landscape is enhanced by BC’s many award-winning wines. The twelve restaurant chefs in this year’s event, renowned for their flair in pairing food with wines, will again compete at Chef meets Grape for both “Peoples Choice�? and “Judges Choice�? honours, as they create appetizer-sized portions of a dish using BC ingredients, paired with their selected BC VQA wine. This year, enjoy BC VQA wines paired with wild BC seafood - including wild BC salmon, wild sablefish, albacore tuna and sardines. Come to taste, sip, vote and enjoy an evening of great BC wine, food and fun!

The event is organized by the British Columbia Wine Institute (BCWI) and is also a fundraiser for Ocean Wise. Partial proceeds from ticket sales will go to this Vancouver Aquarium conservation program which promotes sustainable seafood choices in our restaurants. Tickets are $65 and are available at the following VQA Wine Stores: ...continue reading here for ticket venues and list of participants.

Filed in DAILY NEWS/The Greater Details .... WINE/Special Events

_____________________________________________________

WINE OF THE WEEK
CHURCH & STATE "CHURCH MOUSE" CABERNET BLANC 2006
Okanagan Valley, BC

The “Mouse�? is in the house, but don’t let it end the party!

Back at the beginning of June we started our summer of pink wine reviews with a single rosé. We have blushed our way through the summer with a new flavour each week and now, here we sit with an impressive bouquet and a lot of empties.

Sadly, summer seems to have whizzed by (whether we actually had a summer is questionable at best), and thus we march on toward the fall season..... continue reading.

Filed by Daenna Van Mulligen, a.k.a. the Wine Diva.
Filed in DRINK/A Bouquet of Rose ... and DRINK/Obscure Little Canadian Wines

____________________________________________________

TODAY'S PRESS RELEASES

To celebrate their 10th anniversary C restaurant is planning a special ten course menu that will be offered throughout the month of October.

Rocky Mtn Flatbread Company is offering "meet the local supplier evenings" throughout September.

The Chefs to the Fields event raised $12,000 for the Terra Nova Schoolyards Project.

Filed in DAILY NEWS/Press Releases ... and DAILY NEWS/The Greater Details

____________________________________________________

CURRENT EVENT
SANAFIR DOES ISTANBUL

Starting this Wednesday (August 29) and continuing through to September 9, Sanafir Restaurant & Lounge continues its eastward journey down the Silk Route with an exotic 3-course menu visit to the ancient city of Istanbul.
See the full menu here.

Filed in RESTAURANTS/Chef's Menus.

_____________________________________________________

WHO'S GOT IT - THE BUZZ METER For August 31, 2007

(The most requested information on the site as measured
by Google keyword counter)

PEOPLE:

1) Glowbal Group (Restaurateurs, Vancouver)
2) Fiona Morrow (Media, Globe and Mail)
3) Mark Davidson (Wine Educator)
4) George Szasz (Chef, Szasz's, Victoria)
5) John Crook (Chef, glowbal grill & satay bar)

PLACES:

1) Italian Kitchen - Restaurant, Downtown, Vancouver
2) Deuce - Restaurant, North Vancouver,
3) Stage - Restaurant, Fernwood, Victoria
4) Majestic - Restaurant and Lounge, Davie, Vancouver
5) Pala Lago - Restaurant, Cultus Lake

THINGS:

1) Yaletown Farmers Market
2) Have Cafe Culinary Training
3) Canadian Barista Championship
4) City Dine Event 2007
5) September Long Weekend events

MOST INEXPLICABLE CONNECTION:

none today

NUMBER OF COUNTRIES LOGGING IN: 123
NUMBER OF CITIES WORLDWIDE (visiting yesterday): 56. Number 56 was Kristianstad, Sweden. Marketed as both "the lowest point in Sweden" and the "most Danish city in Sweden" (hmmm... do they like each other?), Kristianstad is the manufacturing home of Absolut Vodka.

Designed and Developed by Backbone Technology.com