The past 20 years have possibly been the most exciting, progressive two decades that the city has seen—food-wise, at least. While various special interest groups argue about what’s progress and what’s not, and development is bogged in municipal government mire, restaurant culture has seen significant changes. In 1993, Mosaic (the web browser that would popularize surfing) […]
Liz Feltham
Posted inFood + Drink
Jane’s end of an era
“It’s true,” Jane Wright says, confirming the rumours that have been swirling for weeks. Jane’s on the common, her namesake restaurant at 2394 Robie Street, is closing. “It looks like we will be serving our last meal at jane’s New Year’s Eve.” Jane’s had only been open for eight months when I first sat down […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Accessible eats
In order for a restaurant to be considered accessible, the premises must be “reachable and enterable by all who so desire,” says Gus Reed of the James McGregor Stewart Society (jmcgs.blogspot.com). “And patrons may want to use the washroom,” he continues, “so there needs to be an acceptable facility.” These would seem to be pretty […]
Posted inFood + Drink
True North Diner’s retro-fitted comforts
In going for a retro look and feel for the True North Diner, the owners have apparently spared no expense. The vast cavern of mediocrity that was the Ponderosa has become a gleaming, chrome and red, black and white tiled bastion of days past. It looks really sharp—not the genuine patina of age that the […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Polarized over Snaubar
It’s good, it’s bad, the service is great, the service is awful…does everyone have an opinion about new Lebanese eatery Snaubar? It’s easily the most polarized debate I’ve heard about one restaurant lately. Since it’s been open a few months now, I’ve got to find out what the deal is for myself. Snaubar (pronounced “snow […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Emma’s fishcake heaven
I have a vested interest in fishcakes, having written a book on them a few years back; the collection of recipes required extensive testing and tasting, and I know fishcakes about as well as anybody can. So when word of an Eastern Passage eatery that starred fabulous fishcakes came wafting along, I knew I had […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Regicide
I’ve been looking forward to visiting the Crown Diner. Owned by two professional chefs (Harvey Eade and Moody Fadhil), their early press release trumpeted an “everything from scratch” menu. I’m excited. For a diner, the decor is upscale—definitely not going for a nostalgic feel here. A few fish-shaped light fixtures are left over from a […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Persian diversion
When I reviewed Shiraz, the little purple bunker at the south end of Hollis, I promptly fell in love with Persian food. Each time I toted my lunch out of this impossibly tiny restaurant, I wished the place was bigger and closer to home. It seems Shiraz owner Ebby Gholami was thinking along the same […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Brussels: beer n’ frites
Ken Greer and Boris Mirtchev, the brains behind the successful Hamachi mini-empire, have turned to Mirtchev’s Belgian roots for their latest venture. Brussels opened on Granville in September and is comprised of two long narrow rooms, side-by-side. The dining room’s beautiful wood panelling, high-backed banquettes and comfortable wooden chairs provide a warm sense of grandeur. […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Courtly love
The proliferation of big box stores and the ever-increasing popularity of online shopping hasn’t affected the winter sport of mall crawling. Everything’s under one roof, sale signs are everywhere and, of course, Santa lives there. And when throngs of shoppers need sustenance to push on and gather their last bits of holiday loot, they rely […]
Posted inLifestyle
Eating la vida loca
You don’t have to look far to find your favourite foodie a perfect gift this holiday; Craig Flinn’s first cookbook, Fresh & Local: Straight from Canadian farms to your table has hit the stands just in time. It’s a fitting title, because fresh and local is the hottest culinary thing going, spawning its own lexicon […]
Posted inFood + Drink
High Steaks
Economic downturn, recession, depression, stocks plummeting, gas prices soaring, housing markets tanking—all grim indicators of what’s happening in the world right now. And while I respect all of those things as accurate economic indicators, I prefer to use a barometer closer to my own experience—the business lunch. Besides, it gives me an excuse to check […]