I once worked as a “Manager of Animation Development” for a then fairly successful producer of children’s television programs. My duties included developing series concepts, scriptwriting, story-editing, creating pitch packages, and, best of all, enjoying the occasional dinner with prospective clients. I remember traveling to New York once where I… Read more ⇢

Remember the good old days of television? When all it took to knock someone unconscious was to clock them in the back of the head with the butt of your gun? They’d conveniently wake up, hours later, nursing a slight headache but none the worse for wear. Shootings were relatively… Read more ⇢

The barmaid stared back at me uncertainly. “Are you sure you want to order the hot wings?”she asked. “They’re pretty hot.” “Oh, yeah,”I insisted. After all, how hot could they be? Well, judging by Lawren’s bug-eyed response after trying one – excruciatingly so. In retrospect, I suppose I should have… Read more ⇢

There are a lot of things I like to do with my free time – reading, writing, watching t.v. on DVD – but, personally, I find nothing quite equals the deep satisfaction I experience while working on my taxes. And it’s not just the joyous hours spent checking, double-checking, and… Read more ⇢

When I was a kid, my interests were markedly different from those of my classmates. Whereas they spent their weekends and evenings playing little league hockey, I spent my free time reading Shakespeare and writing fanciful stories about small town alien invasions, robot revolutionaries, and party-crashing interstellar space buccaneers. While… Read more ⇢

Last night, Fondy and I visited the final destination on our Dine Out Vancouver tour: Chef Angus An’s fledgling Gastropod on 4th Avenue. It was our second visit to the restaurant, the first being a generally positive dining experience several weeks back. This time out, our choices were limited to… Read more ⇢

Like Korean barbecue and shabu-shabu, Hong Kong-style hotpot combines the excitement of a night on the town with the hassle of cooking your own meal. Granted, it’s not for everyone, but for those willing to put in the extra effort, it can be a sociable and fun experience – provided… Read more ⇢

I’m a restaurant owner’s dream. I arrive promptly for my reservation, eat my meal, and leave. Immediately. No sitting around after dinner, casually sipping my green tea, making idle chitchat while the famished looks of the looming diners-in-waiting go unheeded. I can usually be counted upon to be in and… Read more ⇢

Well, I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. After countless enjoyable dinners out and a multitude of generally positive reviews, I finally sat through a horrible meal. Congratulations to Aurora Bistro for quashing my blind faith in the Vancouver restaurant scene. Dine Out Vancouver offers the opportunity… Read more ⇢