From the monthly archives:

April 2008

Metro Loses Manager

by admin 04.27.2008

Restaurant manager Mike Mitchell was laid off from Burrard Holdings’ Metro restaurant last week. The same company’s sister restaurant, Rare Two, lost its liquor license, an operations partner, and its chef the previous month.
Mitchell and I worked together at the Beach House a 100 years ago, after which he managed at Robson’s CinCin [...]

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Q&A With Kira Rogers

by admin 04.26.2008

A five minute interview with Kira Rogers, Director of my favourite event on the BC calendar, the annual Tofino Food and Wine Festival. If you’ve never been before it’s like a dreamy, moveable feast out of doors in Tolkien’s Rivendell. Something to behold, to be sure, and pure magic to be a part of.
How did [...]

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Bad Moon Rising

by admin 04.26.2008

On Wednesday, local food writer Fiona Morrow gave the foie gras protesters that have been picketing outside Fuel and Gastropod plenty of gasoline for their fire. Her Globe and Mail article on the protests elevated their cause to the national stage, and it appears as if it’s already bringing results. In another piece from Morrow [...]

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The UD Forum Turns 2

by Editor 04.23.2008

The forum section of Urban Diner turned two years old just a few minutes ago, and I’ve just opened a nice bottle to celebrate.
It began many months before Urban Diner even existed, back when I was running a website about life in the restaurant industry called Waiterblog. What was then known as Waiterforum has now [...]

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Mental Health Break

by admin 04.23.2008

Barack’s Got Game!

The clip that will push Barack Obama over Clinton in the Indiana primary on May 6th. Yes, it’s for real.

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The Globe Loves Van

by admin 04.23.2008

Beppi Crosariol in this morning’s Globe wonders if Vancouver has edged out Toronto to become Canada’s culinary capital (hit tip to reader LM). Of course, it had to be with an assist from the hash marks courtesy of Daniel Boulud and Jean-Georges Vongerichten (UD was the first to break the news in both cases, huzzah!), [...]

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Salmon On The Ropes

by admin 04.22.2008

“It was a lovely little fish…”

As many UD readers are probably already keenly aware, the prognoses for salmon runs from Alaska to California aren’t pretty. A couple of weeks ago, US federal regulators canceled this year’s commercial and recreational Chinook season, citing appalling statistics of recent and projected returns. The state of Washington is [...]

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Got Spot Prawns?

by admin 04.22.2008

The 2nd Annual Spot Prawn Festival is on the immediate horizon.
Food lovers will enjoy incredible spot prawn dishes from: Aurora Bistro, the Pear Tree, Wild Rice, Diva at the Met, Boneta, Hawksworth at the Georgia Hotel, Vij’s, Chambar, Cru, C [...]

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Press Releases No.284

by admin 04.21.2008

Our Olympic culinary troops, courtesy of Culinary Capers and VCC are headed for Bejing, and Zin Restaurant and Lounge celebrates Earth and Mother’s Day. More after the leap…

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Sinclair Philip Profile

by admin 04.18.2008

Sinclair Philip Interview

Sooke Harbour House proprietor Sinclair Philip interviewed by Wine Press Northwest.

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Van Mag Awards Poll

by admin 04.18.2008

I’ve heard plenty of griping about some of the results from Monday’s VM awards (full results here). It’s like an annual tradition. This weekend’s poll is based on the following specific complaints that have so far come my way:
“Pied-a-Terre is Euro-Disney”
“Tojo’s is wicked overrated.”
“Bearfoot Bistro should have beaten Araxi.”
“Boneta is quaint and all, but wtf?” [...]