Toptable Group has announced that award-winning West Restaurant + Bar will close at year end. It will not be renewing its lease. It's by no means official. But I'll hazard a pretty good guess that the cost of the new lease didn't make sense to continue. The building is also possibly slated for development. The closing [...]
Curry Cup 2019 is a wrap! I’ve judged at a few competitions over the years. But I’d have to say that the Curry Cup is one of the coolest. Maybe it has something to do with my U.K. upbringing. But I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for a good curry—which is still [...]
Ancora arrives Recently opened (on January 8th), Ancora is already a going concern. That should come as no surprise. ‘Mainland’ Vancouverites have already embraced chef Ricardo Valverde’s Nikkei cuisine. A marriage of Peruvian and Japanese styles, the origins of Nikkei date from the late 19th century. Around this time several thousand Japanese people came to [...]
Burgoo is comfort food central. Yesterday a few of us dropped by Burgoo on Burrard for lunch. It turned out to be the perfect choice for a warming bowl of French onion soup and a good salad. The soup was wickedly good, topped with lashings of broiled cheese and packed with croutons in a tasty [...]
Dine Out Vancouver's been around for 17 years now. Way back when it was a pretty straightforward setup. A few dozen restos offered three course menus at $10, $20 or $30. (Yes, hard to believe but there really was a time when you could still get an almost free lunch.) ;-) Today’s greatly expanded Dine [...]
The Elbow Room (560 Davie St., Vancouver, open weekdays 9am-3 pm, Sat, Sun 8am-3pm)) will be closed within the week. Says owner Patrice Savoie in a farewell note on the door: “I’ve decided to end its legacy. It’s time for us to say Goodbye. We have had some amazing years of serving our community. But [...]
Lot185 is a new spot downtown with plenty of promise. If you look back a while, there wasn’t a whole lot happening around what’s now Jack Poole Plaza. Then along came Cactus Club, followed by Tap & Barrel. And now, perhaps not surprisingly, Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre has thrown its hat into the [...]
D'Oro Gelato: A moment in the sun Vintners Brunch is a bit like that favourite item on a restaurant menu. It might feel a little bit dated. Maybe it needs a freshen up now and again. However, tweak it too much and you’ll be in trouble. What's more, for the lucky few (well, 450 or [...]
Maji offers more than a passing nod to Ocean Wise. In the best of all possible worlds, every restaurant I walked into would adhere to Ocean Wise. I know that to realize such a dream may take a while. Ongoing over-fishing, by-catch and compromised habitat threaten seafood stocks that we continue to take so much for granted. Vancouver Aquarium’s game changing [...]
A View Kissed List There's only one problem with making a short list of view wineries in the Okanagan. In a valley of superlative panoramas, you’re guaranteed to upset somebody. So many rate, it’s impossible to do them all justice. With that disclaimer, here’s a quick look at what’s new and in the wings. Where to go and [...]
