Today, Akemi and I met up with our friend Sheryl (and her boyfriend West) to check out the first day of the EAT! Vancouver festival, described as "the only consumer food, beverage and cooking festival in Vancouver" and "the ultimate Food Expo". These two facts together make me very, very sad. I'm not saying it…
May 31, 2012: My fried crispy prawn head recipe!
Done and done. Sort of. I finally finished the first rough draft of the miniseries. Now, I switch off and go over the first part which Paul has been revising and rewriting. I think it's coming along quite nicely - a suspenseful, near-future four hour television event. They're looking to go to camera in July…
May 30, 2012: Checking out the new kid on the block – Fable Restaurant!
Over on 4th, in the spot once occupied by one of my favorite Vancouver restaurants, Refuel (and my absolute favorite Vancouver restaurant, Fuel, before that), a new restaurant has opened its doors. Almost. The official opening is apparently a couple of weeks off, but lunches and dinners are being served as part of Fable's soft…
May 27, 2012: A visit to the Richmond Night Market!
Last weekend, Akemi, Ivon and I checked out the Summer Night Market in Richmond. This weekend, Akemi, Jessie and I checked out the similarly themed Richmond Night Market. We arrived a little after 7:00 p.m. and, after winding our way and finding a spot in the massive parking area, walked to the entrance area. Unlike…
May 25, 2012: An inspired dinner at Diva at the Met!
Yesterday, I hit the 151 page mark of the SF miniseries Paul and I are working on. That's 12 acts down and four to go! I celebrated by going out for a nice dinner. Surprisingly, it's been a while since I sat down to an inspired multi-course meal. Even more surprisingly was where we enjoyed…
May 20, 2012: Disappointing Dinners!
The plan was to get together with the boys this afternoon and continue our Game of Thrones season 2 marathon (this is how guys spend Sunday afternoon's during the NFL off-season), but schedules didn't line up (Ivon has a meeting with his parole officer, while Lawren's girlfriend is hosting her Oprah's book club meeting and…
April 29, 2012: Okonomiyaki 101!
To ensure I don't fall into a hermit-like existence that may eventually find me bottling my own urine and wearing kleenex boxes as shoes, I've decided to make more of an effort to get out, meet new people, and try new things. As a result, several weeks ago, Akemi and I attended a macaron-making class.…
April 27, 2012: Akemi’s Birthday Dinner!
This year, I decided to do something a little different for Akemi's birthday dinner. Rather than go out for her special meal, I decided to bring the special meal to her. I hired the services of her fave local chef, Jane Cornborough, and asked her to design a menu especially for Akemi. And so, last…
April 10, 2012: Getting my macaron fix! Full Preview Dark Matter #4!
Everyone has their weaknesses. For some it's drugs. For others it's drink. For still others, it can be something as seemingly innocuous as surfing the internet, head massages, or shirtless albino guys. For me, it's ice cream and macarons. I've never been much of a drinker and, to be honest, golf and drugs hold equal…
April 8, 2012: Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France! Nebula Awards Showcase 2012! Dark Matter #4!
Tucked away on the less-traveled 21st Street, just off the much-traveled Main Street, sits my favorite little truffle stop in Vancouver: Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France. Owned and operated by former Quebecer Anne-Geneviève Poitras, it offers a delectable selection of hand-crafted chocolates, truffles, confections and beverages. With its rustic wooden shelves, glass jars, and chalkboard specials,…
April 5, 2012: Projects! Dark Matter #4 preview! Fat Dragon II: The Return!
Today, I completed my pass on the horror script, incorporating notes from Paul, Rob, Ivon, and Tara before sending it on its way. It is now in the hands of my agent(s) who will take the weekend to read it and then get back to me early next week with their thoughts, notes, and/or tearful…
April 4, 2012: Potential pack members? We check out The Oakwood Canadian Bistro, Market by Jean-Georges, and Thierry.
"I am melting sleepy. I can't take it anymore." - Akemi, last night, apparently VERY tired. As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm considering adopting an elderly pug in memory of my boy Maximus. I've been scouring the pug rescue sites and came across the twosome pictured above. Buddy and Junior are brothers, aged…
April 3, 2012: Fat Dragon!
The other night, Akemi and I attended the soft opening of Fat Dragon, the latest addition to the Vancouver restaurant scene from the guys that brought you Fuel/Refuel, Campagnolo, and Campagnolo Roma. The theme is Asian barbecue - Where East meets South - and Fat Dragon offers a variety of southern comfort-style Asian plates inspired…
March 25, 2012: Last Dinner at Refuel!
This was the message that greeted diners on Refuel's final night of service last evening. Akemi and I showed up for our 6:00 p.m. reservation to find the place packed. We were greeted by the friendly staff, then welcomed by the ever-affable Katherine who informed us it would be a big curtain closer on account…
March 20, 2012: Odd Eats!
What's the oddest thing you've eaten recently? Now when I say odd, I'm talking about odd "to you". For instance, some of the food I've eaten over the course of my travels to Asia would be considered odd by many while I would consider the same items singular at worst. Whether its lamb neck, sea…