I’ve often said that succeeding in this business is 33% talent, 33% luck, 33% connections, and 1% miscellaneous, but the truth is that behind the talent and the luck and the connections and the miscellaneous are the gatekeepers, the holders of the keys to the enchanted city. They are the people who take the time…

Today, the world celebrates End of the Middle Ages Day. Yup, it’s finally official. They’re done with. Get over it.Tonight, dinner took us to a little place I like to call “Le Crocodile” because in many ways it reminds me of a French alligator, with its predatory charm swimming amidst a rich, vibrant marsh of…

Being a foodie runs in the family. My sister, for instance, is as adventurous as I am when it comes to dining out. And, on her recent trip to Miami, she sampled some of the best and most unusual the city had to offer. She gave me a rundown on a few of the spots…

The other night, a waiter asked me if I was a restaurant critic. I balked at the title. Restaurant critics are food specialists, individuals with a comprehensive knowledge of culinary technique and sophisticated palettes honed by years of professional experience. Me? I’m just an opinionated guy who likes to eat out. The “restaurant critic” moniker…

The fact that I could actually watch Anthony Bourdain eat twelve different foie gras dishes and some raw seal (including the prized eyeball) signaled the worst was over. My appetite was still off, but I was feeling much better. Well enough to shower up and get dressed rather than lounging about all day in my…

I woke up unusually early this morning at a little after 5:30 a.m. And no wonder. It had been a sleepless night of tossing and turning punctuated by night sweats so severe I actually dreamed I was suffering from malaria. Finally up and around, my fevered dreams of vomiting up my lungs far behind, I…

Everyone has a just-off-the-radar-restaurant. You know, one of those places you hear so much about that you’ve been meaning to try out but never get around to despite the fact that its practically within walking distance of your house. Well, Bishops is MY just-off-the-radar restaurant, a multi-award-winning Vancouver establishment that I’ve wanted to try for…

“The trick is to breathe through your nose,”the dental assistant advised me as I bit down on the molding. “And if you start feeling nauseous, try lifting your arms.” And avoid throwing up in your mouth, I wanted to add but, of course, I was unable to do so what with the fact that my…

I’ve toiled some pretty horrible jobs in my time. There was the high school summer I worked at a chocolate factory. Willy Wonka’s it wasn’t. Armed with high pressure hoses that effectively blasted away hardened caramel, dried syrups, and, interestingly enough, wallpaper and paint, my friend and I spent our weekends bored out of our…

Sometimes, restaurants amaze me. And not it a good way. Case in point - Oji, the new restaurant next door to Chapters on Robson Street. Truth be told, it wasn’t our first choice for lunch. Nor was it our second choice. Or third choice for that matter. We had headed out early, hoping to beat…

We planned to go out for brunch today. Well, that was the plan but by the time Fondy was ready, we were far past brunch and well into lunch territory. Rather than go the dim sum route or head over to Feenie’s for braised short rib sandwiches, we decided to try something a little different…

Since my father was a diabetic, the prospect that the disease ran in my family was something that would give me pause now and again. Never during dinner of course, and certainly not while I was eating my double desserts, but lying in bed some nights I would wonder. Could I develop it? Was I…

Pursuant to yesterday’s entry regarding the Network Upfronts and their new fall line-ups, one of the interesting things I failed to mention was Cavemen, the new comedy series spun off from the Geico ad campaign of the same name. The commercials were very funny but will the concept prove just as funny as a t.v.…

The 2007 Network Upfronts took place this week with ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and the CW unveiling their new Fall line-ups. Gone are some old favorites like The O.C., Gilmore Girls, 7th Heaven, and The King of Queens, and some not so favorites like In Case of Emergency, Smith, and Identity. There were a few…

The other night, I went to Gastropod, the winner of the 18th Annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Award for Best New Fine Dining. It also made a strong showing in Urban Diner’s Worst Restaurant Name poll (in this case, yielding the prize to the far more deserving Whineo’s). And, I dare suspect, that if they were…