Archive for December, 2007
December 31, 2007 at 1:12 pm · Filed under UrbanDiner.ca Site News
UPDATE: The nominations thread is now “live”.
Beginning shortly after midnight tonight, we will start taking nominations for the first round of the Urban Diner Restaurant Industry Awards. The following categories will be up for your consideration:
Food Writer of the Year (Morrison excluded)
Food Website/Blog of the Year (UD excluded)
Food Publication/Section of the Year
Best Wine/Spirits Shop
Best Food Shop
The UDRIAs are Canada’s first peer driven restaurant awards. Each of the many hundreds of Urban Diner Forum members are invited to participate, be they chefs, restaurateurs, waiters, food writers, or avid diners. The process is done “live” online, with forum members nominating and voting for their picks in 40 categories over a 40 day period (see here for the categories and timeline).
The winners will be announced on February 18th.
If you are not yet a member of the Urban Diner Forum, you can find out how to join here.
December 30, 2007 at 11:28 pm · Filed under Food Media & Reviews, Videos
Mia Stainsby has been as busy as Santa’s right hand elf, publishing as much foodie material as any writer would want to during the holidays.
She pens a review of Raincity (she likes),
Pairs up some beef tenderloin with a Syrah reduction (with Gismondi),
Kills the Feenie to Cactus Club rumour,
Quotes Jack Evrensel saying West’s new pickup in Hawksworth replacement Warren Geraghty is the Full Monty:
“Warren has worked as exec chef and executive sous chef in Michelin-starred restaurants which is different from applications you often see here. They’ve worked in good name restaurants but they could have been a salad cook,” says Jack Evrensel, the godfather of West, Cincin, Blue Water Cafe and Raw Bar.
And puts some Moscati D’Asti next to candy cane cheesecake (again with Gismondi).
Meanwhile, Alexandra Gill does a Year in Review bit,
and so does Tim Pawsey.
For my part, I review Yew – still a zygote in the Four Seasons.
Also, the new Vancouver Magazine has hit my neighbourhood IGA. I flipped through it hopefully for a Maw swan essay but unfortunately no. I read the short Q&A with Lumiere’s Dale Mackay before getting an “are you going to read it or buy it” vibe. No linkage, I’m afraid. Their website has yet to be updated.
City Food has published some 25 cocktails from Vancouver’s best bartenders over the last month. Way to keep us in our cups.
To segue like a ballerina and curtsy, the Sydney Morning Herald gives us the confessions of a cocktail critic.
Back soon with less.
December 30, 2007 at 10:40 pm · Filed under Videos
I hope you’ve all had a pleasant holiday, if any at all. My family laid as low as could be. We ate at J&J’s Noodle House, the Superior Cafe and Brasserie L’Ecole – all in Victoria (coffee at Habit and Willie’s Bakery). We went out of blackberry range up to Sooke. Stayed at the Point No Point Resort (linkage). We’ve been going up there every Christmas on and off for twenty years, and we know just what to do. I could have put together an epic, hour long film of our Christmas trip, but have settled for an afternoon edited down to a brisk three minutes. Anyway, we’re back. Glad to be, too.
December 24, 2007 at 12:39 pm · Filed under UrbanDiner.ca Site News
Paul and I would like to thank all of our Urban Diner members, contributors, readers, and advertisers for their continued support and participation before we break for a few days over the holidays. It’s been wonderful, busy year, and we’ve got plenty of great things planned for BC’s restaurant community in 2008.
We’ll be back swinging just prior to New Year’s Eve, when the nominations process for the Urban Diner Awards begin in earnest. The new issue of EAT magazine, which includes a Chris Mason Stearns interview with chef David Hawksworth, should be out and about at the same time.
For now, we’re taking it easy making some merry. The forum will remain open, and we’ve just added a “What Did You Get?” thread for Christmas present bragging rights.
From our families to you and yours, best wishes to you all and to all a good night.
Andrew Morrison
December 22, 2007 at 3:04 pm · Filed under Breaking News, Food Media & Reviews
West 4th’s Fuel was named Best New Restaurant by the Vancouver editors of Where magazine (last month). The Vancouver Sun has a blurb today:
“The calibre was high and selecting one was no easy task,” Vancouver Where editors said. “But Fuel restaurant seduces with its simplicity: a kitchen looking right onto the street, plus front-and-centre seats to catch the action. On the plate, owners Robert Belcham and Tom Doughty celebrate all things local and seasonal. The menu changes weekly but look for duck confit leg and poached breast of Polderside organic chicken, and seared Albacore tuna with Stoney Paradise sungold tomatoes. And don’t miss a sip of Doughty’s own Montagu Cellars Three Barrel Merlot.”
The Urban Diner Awards are next in February and then the Van Mag Awards follow in May.
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