Pied-a-terre, Hawksworth, Blue Water, Stilton, Itialian To Go, Chow, Fraiche, Loden Hotel, Truffles, Lamplighter Pub, Granville Room, KENWA, C, James Barber, Cocktail 7&8

TODAY'S CHRISTMAS COCKTAIL ---- CLICK HERE
To see all Cocktails ---- Click Here.




THE MEDIA HOUND - The Local Ink
December 7, 2007)

And the Dog Pile is all over Andrey Durbach's new Pied-a-Terre restaurant this week, as the links change over at this week's newsstand.

Filed in MEDIA/Local Ink.























DAVID HAWKSWORTH TO OPEN NEW RESTAURANT AT REVITALIZED HOTEL GEORGIA
Hawksworth leaves winning streak at West for his first solo venture - December 7, 2007
(Directly from the press release.)


Vancouver, B.C., Dec 7th 2007 – David Hawksworth, one of Canada’s foremost chefs, has announced plans to open his first restaurant at the revitalized Hotel Georgia, a landmark property in the heart of downtown Vancouver. Positioned on the corner of West Georgia and Howe Streets, it is under renovation and scheduled to re-open late in 2009.

The heritage hotel first opened its doors in 1927. During its heyday in the 50’s and 60’s, the hotel’s Cavalier Grill, under chef Xavier Hetzman, was known as the restaurant in town. It was a social hub hosting Howe Street brokers, lawyers and judges from the nearby law courts, along with Hollywood legends and visiting royalty. Some fifty years later, David Hawksworth announces his plans to restore the restaurant to its former glory and recapture some of the era’s glamour... CONTINUE READING ...


Filed in DAILY NEWS/Greater Details ... and ... PEOPLE/Chefs.





















RESTAURANT NEWS - December 7, 2007
BLUE WATER CAFE EXPANDS PRIVATE DINING AND WINE CELLERING FACILITIES
(Directly from the Press Release.)

Vancouver, BC – Restaurant Director Stephan Cachard is pleased to announce the highly-anticipated opening of Blue Water Cafe’s enhanced private dining and wine cellaring facilities. Complemented by the exceptional cuisine of Executive Chef Frank Pabst, Blue Water Cafe now houses two of Vancouver’s most exclusive rooms designed for those wishing to dine in privacy and style.

With its own separate entrance and cutting-edge audio/visual capabilities, no detail has been left unseen. Seated in the one-of-a-kind ‘Beatrice’ chair fabricated by internationally-acclaimed designer Poltrona Frau, guests will be surrounded by Blue’s extensive wine and bubbles collection. Anchored by handsomely rustic brick and beam, central features of the room are the glass-enclosed walk-in cellar and dramatic walls of wine adorning the perimeter of the room.

Ideal for intimate gatherings, corporate functions and celebratory affairs, Blue’s two multi-faceted rooms are easily combined to accommodate up to 80 guests for dinner or 110 for reception. State-of-the-art electronic equipment, satellite reception and projector screens provide prime amenities for boardroom entertaining. ... CONTINUE READING ...

Filed in DAILY NEWS/Greater Details ... and ... RESTAURANTS/News.




















CHRISTMAS ENTERTAINING TIP 1 - December 7, 2007
les amis du Fromage - Port-Soaked Stilton

Stilton lovers alert! Alice Spurrell’s famous port-soaked stilton cheeses will be available for purchase on Saturday, December 15th.

For those in the know, this is a special once a year only treat that Alice starts every November by soaking a carefully chosen whole wheel of English Stilton in Taylor’s Port until it is marinated to perfection.

There is only a limited supply available and prices vary according to the size of the cheese.

To order yours, call les Amis du Fromage at 604-732-4218. Or come the 15th, be at their door at 1752 W. 2nd Ave, Vancouver or #518 Park Royal South in West Vancouver.

While you are there, check out the dinner entrees in the freezer case. They make great impromptu meals when you have had a tough day of Christmas mall roller derby and are too bagged to cook supper.

...CONTINUE READING ....


Filed in FOOD/Peak of the Season.






























TODAY'S CHRISTMAS COCKTAIL ---- CLICK HERE.




























Photo by Heather Goldsworthy.


DINE AND DASH - December 6, 2007

Italian To Go, the sidekick to Italian Kitchen on Alberni Street, is now open for business, serving quick, casual meals for eat-in or takeout.

Chow restaurant at 15th and Granville reports that their second round of sound proofing has just been completed and it has made a marked improvement in the ambience. If the noise level put you off this small but promising restaurant before, maybe a second look would be in order. A good excuse for a revisit would be to check out their Christmas Shoppers' lunch menu. (Scroll down this page to see the menu.) Sounds so good you may forego the shopping.

It sounds like Rob Feenie's PR company may have a new press release in the works ... oh Gawd, what now?

The latest from Craigslist ... "Due to open in January, Fraiche Restaurant and Lounge boasts an incredible view of the ocean, Lion's Gate bridge and the Vancouver skyline. A state of the art open kitchen and contemporary dining room and lounge will provide a great atmosphere for staff and patrons. The listing also promises candidates "the opportunity to work with a successful and renowned Chef and professional management."

Also from CL ...Here's a good job for anyone who can boast good contacts with local suppliers and who doesn't feel queasy on a waterbed.

The Loden Hotel is advertising for employees again (this one is for an assistant restaurant manager, although they need a pastry chef too), so the wheels must be creaking forward on that stalled project.

And someone took exception to this.


To be filed in DAILY NEWS/Dine and Dash.



































COMING UP NEXT ...

Join Vancouver's best mixologists via CityFood Online's Cocktail Advent Calendar as they bring you their most festive holiday cocktails .... recipes, tunes to match, photos by Heather Goldsworthy.

One a day, from now to Epiphany, and it starts tomorrow. You bring the munchies.







PREVIEWS
LAMPLIGHTER TO SHINE BRIGHTER - The Granville Room as well.
(Monday, December 3, 2007)

The Donnelly Hospitality Group has been making busy with a hammer and saw.

Earlier this fall they took over management of the old Lamplighter Pub in Gastown's Dominion Hotel (210 Abbott Street) when the 1899 vintage heritage building was sold to Eric Cohen of Main Street’s Architectural Antiques.

While Cohen and his partners have been busy with a complete renovation of the hotel, the Donnelly Group has been at work freshening up the interior of the Lamplighter, installing all new furniture and fixtures to create a gastro pub that might even compete with Sean Heather's reassembled Irish Heather pub (due to move in across the street in early 2008).

Donnelly hopes to have all work completed in time to introduce the new look at a New Years Eve bash. Otherwise, they will be keeping the name and all the logo branding as is.

Meanwhile, at 957 Granville St., they have also been applying a full facelift to another one of their properties, the Granville Room. ...CONTINUE READING.


Filed in RESTAURANTS/Previews.





HOME FOR CHILDREN WITH HIV/AIDS NEEDS YOUR VOTE
(Monday, December 3, 2007)

Samantha Kaplan, a 25-year-old Vancouver social worker and photographer, is presently working in Kenya with Kenya Network of Women with AIDS (KENWA). KENWA runs a home for children left orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The home has expanded very quickly, and is in much need of basic supplies such as eating utensils, cribs, and much more. Samantha has submitted a project proposal to Give Meaning. The project needs 100 votes in order to get the go-ahead to begin fundraising. (As of this morning they had 18 votes and they need to get to 100 to obtain the authorization). Please take a minute to lend your support to this worthy cause!

To find out how to vote, please refer to the link below. When you vote, you're NOT making a financial commitment of any kind; you're simply indicating that you think it's a good idea and that the fundraising effort should go ahead.

Voting takes less than a minute, and it's easy - so please vote now, by clicking here http://www.givemeaning.com/proposal/kenwa to review the project profile (and then just click on the Vote icon to cast your vote).

UPDATE: Thank you! With your support the KENWA orphanage project received the necessary endorsement votes in order to qualify as a registered charity with Give Meaning. From here Kenwa has plans to approach corporate and private sponsors for enough funds to purchase land on which to build a permanent orphanage, so as to be able to provide a more stable home for the children. Of course funds will always be gratefully accepted from individual donors via the Give Meaning website, although this is not a requirement from the nominators, nor will it be asked for. Samantha Kaplan is also raising funds privately through the sale of greeting cards created from her photographs of the orphans. If you are interested in how to order the cards or in Ms. Kaplan's work in Kenya, you can read more on her website at http://www.inkenya.blogspot.com/.





TIS THE SEASON FOR HOLIDAY LUNCHES AT C
(Directly from the press release - Monday, December 3, 2007)

Eat, drink and be merry. This holiday season, incorporate C Restaurant into your festive plans with a stress-free lunch – whether with friends, family or business associates. Holiday lunches at C begin on Monday, December 10th and will run weekdays through Friday, December 21st, served from 11:30am - 2:30pm. For those with wallets feeling a little light this time of year, C will feature both the 10-course Chef’s Tasting Menu and the a la carte Dinner Menu for half price during lunch hours. ... CONTINUE READING ...

Filed in DAILY NEWS/Greater Details.




THE OUTSIDE WORLD
(Sunday, December 2, 2007)



Funny Commercials

Check out this commercial for Bacardi. It's in Spanish so here's the set-up.

A young woman on the war path is surprised to discover her boyfriend secretly moonlighting as a waiter. He explains that he's only been doing it so he can afford to buy her the nice things that she deserves. The rest needs no translation.



























Sorry. No embedded link available. Click here.


Filed in MEDIA/The Outside World

(The most requested information on the site as measured
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PEOPLE:


1) Rob Feenie - Chef
2) Dale Mackay, Chef, Lumiere
3) James Barber - Food Writer (deceased)
4) Gianni Picchi - Chef
5) Colleen McClean - Chef, Rare