Bistrot Bistro
(604) 732-0004
Address: 1961 West 4th Ave (map)
homepage

French Connections
a Quick Bite

By Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver writer

It gradually crept on us, but lately lovers of casual French fare have been treated to a plethora of fine choices. Among the old stalwarts there is The Smoking Dog near Kits beach which sports a bustling patio, simple preparations, and live jazz. Then there is Bistro Pastis which is a bit more formal (and expensive), and tackles some of the hearty French classics. Mistral, on the same block as Feenie’s, offers up classic executions that span the French map. Relative newcomer Jules Bistro brings classic preparations to Gastown at a reasonable price. Joining the existing Kitsilano locations is Bistrot Bistro, a relatively small joint that separates itself with a hip vibe and injections of flavors that aren’t typically French.

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Fishman the Grape

Fishman the Grape - WSET Level 1
a wine blog

By Daniel Fishman
Eat Vancouver writer
Tuesday, July 24, 2007

I recently had the opportunity to take the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Foundations course, an introductory wine course for people employed in hospitality or simply interested in wine.

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Fishman the Grape

Fishman the Grape - Wine Touring in Santa Barbara
a wine blog

By Daniel Fishman
Eat Vancouver writer
Wednesday, July 18, 2007

If I think back on my whole life, one day stands out has the funniest, best, most hilarious day ever. It was the day after Slope Day 2005, in Ithaca, NY, and a group of about 15 Beta alumni and friends went wine touring in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.

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Interview Series Part 4. Greg Lam
Sliced Tomatoes
(604) 254-2545
homepage

Delivering lines with Greg Lam
an interview series feature

By Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver Writer
Monday, July 16th, 2006

I recently had the great pleasure of speaking with Greg Lam, who recently started up Sliced Tomatoes, a service that delivers nearly prepared meals to be finished off and eaten at home. The ingredients are delivered in a blue cooler and consist of items such as sliced vegetables, chicken and sauce to be stir-fried, to a nearly done risotto and red wine-braised lamb shank to be heated up on the stove. There are some similar services around town, but none do it quite like Sliced Tomatoes, with their stress on excellent customer service, healthy (but still flavorful) food and my favorite, home delivery. Needless to say, I was excited to hear how all of this came about. I learned about how running this business is a lot like a restaurant at times, to their recent menu revamp in an interest to stay seasonal and local. The full transcript of our chat is below.

Jason Chin: What is your background, specifically in the hospitality industry? And led you to Sliced Tomatoes?

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Cedar Creek Tasting

Cedar Creek Tasting at Taylorwood Wines
a wine blog

By Daniel Fishman
Eat Vancouver writer
Friday, July 13th, 2007

I recently stopped by for another of Taylorwood Wine’s Thursday tasting sessions, this time featuring the wines of Cedar Creek Winery. I should point out one of the nice things about Taylorwood, if I haven’t already, which is that all of their wine comes at BC Liquor Store prices, so at least you know that you aren’t getting ripped off (or at least, ripped off any more than normal—you have to hate the liquor taxes in this country).

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Fishman the Grape

Fishman the Grape - Village VQA Tasting
By Daniel Fishman
Eat Vancouver writer
Thursday, July 12, 2007

I stopped by Village VQA recently for their weekly tasting featuring a changing assortment of BC wines (the only wines they stock). I also met the store manager, Michelle, and hope to sit down and talk about BC wines and wine retail in the near future.

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Eat Vancouver writer and wine blogger Daniel Fishman recently published an article in Canoe.ca, a national news and entertainment website. Click here to find his article about Temecula Valley wine country.

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Interview Series Part 3. Brent Hayman
Raincity Grill (map)
1193 Denman St
(604) 685-7337
homepage

A Chat with Brent Hayman
a wine blog / interview series joint feature

By Daniel Fishman
Eat Vancouver Writer
Tuesday, July 10th, 2006

I recently sat down with Brent Hayman, long-time general manager, and of interest to me, sommelier for Raincity Grill on Denman Street. Raincity was given an Award of Distinction from Wine Enthusiast Magazine in 2005, as well as Awards of Excellence from Wine Spectator every year from 1997-2005, among other awards. When I arrived Brent was in the middle of a tasting, and I was lucky enough to get to try them. For what it’s worth, I preferred the Bogle Chenin Blanc, although the Cline Viognier was also pretty nice.

Brent also shared with me some of his own background, his opinions on wine at Vancouver restaurants, and a bit about the business considerations that go into his wine list decisions. One of the things that interested me most was the fact that multiple restaurants and retailers often get together to order larger quantities of wines from the U.S. in order to save on shipping costs. Perhaps this explains why it seems like the same wines seem to pop-up everywhere at the same time. We also discussed whether or not BC wines have been increasing in quality as quickly as they have been increasing in price. Finally, Brent echoed the voice of my own wine instructor, urging people to trust their own tastes as opposed to the opinions of experts in the media. What follows is a transcript of our conversation, edited for length and to disguise my awkwardly worded questions.

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Fishman the Grape

Part 3 Firefly Tasting - Don Miguel Gascon
a wine blog

By Daniel Fishman
Eat Vancouver writer
Monday, July 9th, 2007

I stopped by Firefly Fine Wines and Ales on Friday night for their Don Miguel Gascon tasting.

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Red Robin at Broadway and Oak
Address: 1001 West Broadway (map)
Phone: 604-733-6494
homepage

In the Catbird Seat
a Summer Eatin’ feature

by Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver Writer
Monday, July 9th, 2007

My history with Red Robin goes all the way to my discovery of the chain as a young boy in Oakland where I believed it to be the height of fine dining. Then, more recently during my time as an undergraduate in Charlottesville, where our dorm was generously furnished with an assortment of their glassware thanks to sticky-fingered past residents. But now that I’ve grown older, I’ve often wondered if these warm feelings are simply nostalgia, or a more or less accurate representation of this burger joint.

I’ve been putting off testing these questions because, well, sometimes I don’ really want to know. It’s sort of like in 8MM, when Nicholas Cage’s character was getting ready to investigate the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles’ hardcore porn industry, and he was warned, “you are going to see things that you can’t unsee.” Now, I don’t mean to compare Red Robin to snuff porn, but it’s hard to ignore the similarities: I didn’t want to taste things I couldn’t untaste. That was until I heard that the patio at the Red Robin on Broadway boasts one of the most spectacular views in the city. My dedication to blissful ignorance would have to wait – there was summer eatin’ to be had.

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