Dine Out Vancouver comes to us much further into the year this time around, most likely to avoid overlap with the craziness of the Olympics. Good to see that many participating restaurants are taking advantage of this late start with menus that trumpet springtime is here!. Also pleased that more cross-promotion is in place this year, with hotel packages catering to Dine Out enthusiasts and food tours, cooking classes, and wine seminars wanting to tag team with your dinner plans.

I’ve created my 2010 Dine Out Vancouver shortlist with quite specific criteria: restaurants I’ve never been to that are cooking trout on nights that we have a babysitter. Since I don’t expect you to share these conditions with me, below are my 2009 Dine Out Vancouver tips rejigged along with new advice to account for some of the changes to the program this year.

Try something new

The incredible Dine Out dinners I’ve had in the past always tempt me to revisit those restaurants responsible for such fond memories, but to date, I’ve committed to picking places I’ve never been to for each new round.

If you have downtown Vancouver tunnel vision like I often do, consider going to a restaurant in Burnaby or Richmond instead. You could even go further afield for the parallel (but not co-produced) Dine In Whistler event. I’d make a beeline for Araxi and Bearfoot Bistro if I had the means to drive out there for it!

If you see this event as an easier way to explore the restaurant scene, not as a sale for your tried-and-true places, you may wind up with a new favourite eatery as a result.

Do lunch

Dine Out Vancouver used to be a right steal when it started, with meals as low as $15 and menus capped at $25. Since its inception, we’ve seen the addition of a $35 tier — now $38 — and the use of the Special Notes field to denote add-ons like wine pairings and even fine print like automatic gratuities. These do add up…and now a couple out for a Dine Out evening could easily spend over $100, wondering where the so-called deal has gone.

If your wallet or your spending sensibilities can’t handle the burgeoning price of Dine Out Vancouver dinners, try a Dine Out Vancouver lunch instead! Nearly a third of participating restaurants are offering it.

There isn’t a way to search for this option on the Tourism Vancouver website so I’ve decided to do the grunt work for you. You’re welcome.

• Amarcord
• Ashiana Tandoori Restaurant
• Bistro 101 at the Pacific Institute for Culinary Arts (PICA)
• Blarney Stone
• C Restaurant
• Cardero’s
• cassis bistro
• Ciao Bella
• Cru
• Darby’s Pub
• db bistro moderne
• Diva at the Met
• Don Francesco
• Elixir
• Fogg n’ Sudds Robson
• Goldfish Pacific Kitchen
• Gramercy Grill
• Hamilton Street Grill
• Harold’s Bistro & Bar
• Hell’s Kitchen
• Hermitage
• Herons
• hidden
• Kerkis Greek Taverna
• Kirin
• Las Margaritas
• Le Gavroche
• Maurya
• Medley’s Restaurant
• Moustache Cafe
• nu
• O’Doul’s
• Plato Estiatorio
• Raincity Grill
• Reflect social dining + lounge
• Rocky Mountain Flatbread
• Salt Tasting Room
• Sanafir
• Seasons in the Park
• Seawall bar & grill
• Society Dining Lounge
• STONEGRILL Restaurant
• Chongqing
• Thai Spice
• The Fish House in Stanley Park
• The Point Restaurant & Tapas
• The Sandbar
• The Teahouse
• Westward Ho! at the University Golf Club
• Wild Rice
• Yokohama Teppanyaki

You do still have to call these restaurants if you’d like to know how much their Dine Out lunches cost as well as what’s on the menu for it, but I’m betting that it’ll be more affordable than its dinner counterpart.

Put your ear to the ground

Not sure where to go? Hold off on making a reservation and wait for initial feedback.  I typically seek out the opinion of food writers with similar palates, search for reviews of Dine Outs past, and listen to the rants or raves of loved ones returning from their experience.

Now that Twitter is the haunt of many a food lover, you could also lurk the feeds of your favourite restaurant addicts or check in on whatever event hashtag wins out (#dov2010 is probably your best bet).

One downside to this strategy is that the hottest restaurants will be fully booked by the time you decide to go there. If you were already thinking of dining at the likes of Chambar, West, Boneta, db bistro, and Market, don’t think: just book now. West is already sold out and tables at Boneta are going fast.

Compare against the regular menu

Don’t assume that all Dine Out participants are offering you a deal.  Some are cheaper than their set menus imply, especially those that offer $18 menus for normally communal fare. Unless you are really smitten by their Dine Out lineup, you would do better to sample these restaurants on a regular day rather than competing with the crowds during Dine Out. [I am also puzzled by the continued presence of certain restaurant chains that have been with Dine Out since the outset, but that's all I will say about that.]

Upon closer inspection, you might also discover that restaurants with top tier Dine Out Vancouver offerings have more affordable prix fixe specials during regular service. Some may also have lunch service: a good way to try a restaurant out of your budget free of the crowds that Dine Out brings. And if you had had your heart set on the now sold-out West, West’s lunch may very well be your only option during Dine Out this year!

Select by menu, not by reputation

If you’re like me, you’ve eagerly looked up the menu of a restaurant of high repute at the Tourism Vancouver site only to discover how truly ho-hum its Dine Out edition is.  The uninspired (re: cheap) offerings or plans that read like a workday set lunch turn me off from attempting an otherwise promising restaurant.

Make sure your palate is already salivating on what you’re going to eat or be prepared to have a less than stellar meal at a place that normally has a good reason to draw praise.

Share your Dine Out Vancouver experiences with others

Help your circle narrow down their dining choices by relating what you’ve enjoyed (or detested) in the past.  On my part, I’ll list places of note from our Dine Out Vancouver history.

Pleased by:

• Imperial Chinese Seafood Restaurant
• Hart House
• Fleuri
• West
• Brix
• Raincity Grill
• Aqua Riva
• Provence Marinaside
• Rex Rotisserie & Grill
• Chambar (I’d prefer to go on a regular day and pig out on mussels)

Disappointed by:

• Griffin’s
• Wild Rice
• Coast
• Horizons
• cassis bistro
• Parkside

Feel free to leave me a comment about your past, present, and future with Dine Out Vancouver.

Rumour has it they may make a whisky as well. Can’t wait.

We decided to check out at least one restaurant along the Canada Line together before her departure. She has a soft spot for Taiwanese food by way of her mother’s restaurant eating habits, so our short list whittled down to Pearl Castle near Aberdeen Station and Dinesty Chinese Restaurant by Lansdowne Station. Pearl Castle seemed the more Taiwanese of the two, but it being a bubble tea cafe more than proper restaurant, my husband and Eileen compromised on Dinesty, which peppered its primarily Shanghainese offerings with flavours of Taiwan.

Dinesty was an easy 5-minute walk from the mouth of Lansdowne Station. Our first hurdle was encountered before we stepped foot inside: Dinesty accepts only cash. Groan. My husband had us grab a table while he searched around for the nearest cash machine (which was thankfully somewhere inside the square).

The restaurant was busy with lunch-goers even at 2pm. We waited 5 minutes before a table cleared, and proceeded to wait another 20 before a server came to take our order, which involved all three of us flailing our limbs in attention-grabbing gestures. Our next hurdle was the actual ordering, made awkward by the lack of English on our order sheet.

With a barely discernible sigh, our server shelved her impatience with our inability to use this checklist. We communicated our 5 items using the single black menu that our table got, filled with useful image galleries of the most popular items and subtitled with codes like S10 and N01 for those of us who needed the cross reference.

After another 20 minute wait, we received our first dish: xiao long bao, item S01 on the menu with an English description of “steamed pork dumplings”. The bamboo steamer held 9 soupy, porkalicious morsels that were worth the $5.95 we paid and somewhat made up for the neglectful service we had experienced up to this point.

Next came the noodle soup with beef (N01, $6.95), the only Taiwanese item in our eating line-up. The spice level of this dish is up to you. We opted for a mild spice as per my companions’ wishes. Eileen was giddy with delight as she consumed her portion, noting the handmade noodles and the clear, delicate notes of the broth. My husband declared it his favourite of the dishes we tried that day.

I preferred the shrimp and pork shaomai (S10, $7.50) that followed the soup. All of us appreciated the presentation of whole shrimp that topped the mouth of the dumpling as well as the mouthfeel that the separation of shrimp from pork ball imparted. I’m still trying to figure out what the visuals evoke… gift bags? An erupting volcano? A sea polyp?

We were doing well with our pace of consumption until the arrival of the shredded pork with hoi sin sauce and pancakes (E33, $11.75). It was a mountain of pork for our table of three. We probably needed three more helpers – and either 6 more pancakes or a bowl of rice – to polish this baby off. Think of it as a pork rendition of the traditional Peking Duck starter, with the greens, sauce, and meat convieniently tossed together, ready to be rolled into its pancake casing. I ate as much of this as I dared, knowing there was one more dish to come.

I wish that the bean curd mushroom roll (D01, $5.95) had graced our table when the other dim sum items were still around, as it was rather anticlimactic after the soup and the shredded pork. My husband, being the tofu-hater that he is, passed on this completely; Eileen tried one mostly out of politeness than curiosity or hunger; I had two at the table and three to go to prove that the order was not unwarranted. I must admit, however, that this dish was mighty bland in comparison to the four dishes that had preceded it.

All in all, we enjoyed our meal at Dinesty. But let’s make it clear: we enjoyed what we ate, not the service, wait times, ordering process, or cash-only environment. The  items we downed and the dim sum items that we have yet to sample are alluring enough to convince me to return for subsequent visits. But I’m going to agressively downgrade my service expectations and bring a friend that can decipher the ordering sheet before I give this place another try.

Dinesty Chinese Restaurant
8111 Ackroyd Rd | Lansdowne Station, Richmond
(604) 303-7772

I’m one of those people that doesn’t make time for everyday breakfast. Even though I am a huge fan of eggs, skillet meats, and griddled grains, getting an extra hour of sleep trumps them all. But I take my weekend breakfasts seriously. When we’re not spending all morning creating monster breakfasts like the one above, you can find us at the places that we trust to do breakfast right. 

And in downtown Vancouver, my favourite place to go is Medina Cafe.

Medina is sister and neighbour to Chambar, both of which being a breath away from Stadium skytrain station and Tinseltown. From our abode in Yaletown, the foot commute is not insignificant, but it works up a decent appetite for Medina’s large portions.

My favourite of the savoury selections is the $15 Fricassé: two fried eggs on a bed of braised short rib, caramelized onion, arugula, roasted potatoes, and applewood cheddar.

If you want to veer away from the usual bacon and eggs, you’ll love Medina, which carries many a plate inspired from North Africa and the Mediterranean. A good alternative is the $14 Les Boulettes: spicy Moroccan meatballs, poached eggs, roasted veggies, and a helping of humous and cucumber salad.

Also keep an eye out for Medina’s fresh sheet offerings. On one occasion, I had the opportunity to try their bouillabaise, which surprised me with its tomato tang and its generous helping of avocado in the centre. It was a sizeable bowl even for a regular diner, but I inhaled it all.

Got a sweet tooth? Go for their daily baked waffles, ordered à la carte at $3.15 for a disc the size of a hamburger patty. You can order one to accompany the savoury dish of your choice or grab a stack, mixing and matching accoutrements for a buck apiece.

I cannot get enough of their organic apple juice, murky with what I assume to be mashed up fresh apple.

As lovely as the eats are at Medina, I’d still like to impart a few cautionary notes:

• Get there early or prepare to wait. Medina is no longer a well-kept secret, so if you arrive for lunch right at noon, don’t be surprised if you don’t get a seat for another 30-40 minutes.
• Love thy neighbour. In order to accommodate as many guests into their narrow dining space, the tables at Medina practically touch. Your server will probably pull out your table in order for your party to shimmy into the booth-side seats, tucking you in afterward like it were bedtime. If you yearn for elbow room, this place may not be for you.

Medina Cafe
556 Beatty Street | Crosstown
(604) 879-3114
www.medinacafe.com

The Chef’s Table Society of BC throws a yearly fête as these tasty crustaceans come to the table each May. This year, the start of the official harvest of Spot Prawns will be celebrated again at False Creek Fishermen’s Wharf, just outside the entrance to Granville Island.  

3rd Annual Spot Prawn Festival
May 9, 2009
Noon – 3pm
False Creek Fishermen’s Wharf
1505 West 1st Avenue | False Creek [ Map ] 

The season runs for a scant 8 weeks. During this time, you can buy them at the Wharf every afternoon straight from Organic Ocean fishermen that catch them that day*.  At the Wharf, Spot Prawns are available for $12 a pound. Society members can get them at the Wharf for only $10 a pound (you can purchase your $25 annual membership at the Chefs’ Table website).  

Spot Prawn smorgasbord on the Wharf

The following members of the Chefs’ Table Society will be on site to create delicious concoctions for you to sample. If the event is anything like last year, you should be able to purchase a booklet of the recipes that you try that day. 

• Robert Belcham, Fuel Restaurant
• Andrea Carlson, Bishop’s
• Quang Dang, C Restaurant
• Scott Jeager, The Pear Tree
• Don Letendre, Elixir
• Toko Hidekazu, Tojo’s 
• Frank Pabst, Blue Water Cafe
• Jeff Van Geest, Diva at the Met
• John Geneau, Bin 941
• Clement Chan, Mosaic Bar and Grille

Spot Prawn cooking demos at Granville Island Public Market

During Festival Day as well as May 10th and 16th, you can also catch cooking demos by Vancouver chefs listed below at the stage in the Granville Island Public Market, which is a 5-minute walk from Wharf activities.

View Larger Map

Demos run at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm, so you have plenty of opportunity to learn how to make the most of these prawns in your home kitchen. Make sure to pick up the corresponding recipe cards of the demos you catch.

• May 9, 11am – John Bishop, Bishops
• May 9, 1pm – Warren Geraghty, West
• May 9, 3pm – Francois Ganon, CinCin
• May 10, 11am – Don Dickson, South China Seas
• May 10, 1pm – Rob Feenie, Cactus Club Cafe
• May 10, 3pm – Dino Rinearts, Diva at the Met
• May 16, 11am – Jean-Francis & Alessandra Quaglia, Provence
• May 16, 1pm – Nico Scheurmans, Chambar
• May 16, 3pm – Alana Peckham, Cru

Spot Prawns on menus near you

Can’t make it out to False Creek? Keep your eyes peeled for Spot Prawn seasonal creations at Lower Mainland restaurants from now until the season comes to a close in June.  

* I’ve seen Spot Prawns available for purchase at T&T and other seafood shops in Granville Island and Chinatown. Be mindful of who you’re supporting when you buy them. I had the misfortune of buying Spot Prawns too early as there was a tank of live critters available at my local Asian grocer. Bought 2 lbs, thinking they were kosher. At least 2 of my take-home bounty were gigantic females full of roe. Apparently, these prawns were caught in the middle of spawning season. I felt sick to my stomach.

The past 2 years have witnessed the departure of DOV heavy-hitters (Chambar, Gotham) and a hike in pricing from the original $15 / $25 / $35 price points.  I suppose these changes are not surprising given the passage of time and the acclaim that these restaurants have now attained from the mainstream.

While my husband and I have indulged in DOV for every year that we’ve been in town, our friends have started to walk away from Dine Out.  Some argue that Dine Out is no longer the value experience that it once was–an opportunity to risk less dollars at a fine dining establishment whose reputation has not been personally vetted.  Others contend that some participants are more affordable a la carte than through their Dine Out specials.

Despite these concerns, I remain steadfast in my belief that Dine Out Vancouver still offers fantastic value if you learn how to take full advantage of the system.  Here are a few of the things I keep in mind when creating my yearly shortlist.

Try something new

The incredible Dine Out dinners I’ve had in the past always tempt me to revisit those restaurants responsible for such fond memories, but to date, I’ve committed to picking places I’ve never been to for each new round.  See this event as an easier way to explore the restaurant scene, not as a sale for your tried-and-true places.  You may wind up with a new favourite eatery as a result.  Such was the case with Raincity Grill in the early days of Dine Out (now my restaurant of choice for a special occasion).

Put your ear to the ground

Not sure where to go? Hold off on making a reservation for the first few days and wait for initial feedback.  I typically seek out the opinion of bloggers with similar palates, search for reviews of Dine Outs past, and listen to the rants or raves of loved ones returning from their experience.  Plan B, a Yaletown tapas lounge that I’ve never been that interested in investigating, is now on my radar on the basis of thumbs up they’ve been getting this year. Cassis has also elevated itself with its recent climb up the Urbanspoon restaurant ladder.

Compare against the regular menu

Don’t assume that all Dine Out participants are offering you a steal.  Some are cheaper than their set menus imply.  Unless you are really smitten by their Dine Out lineup, you would do better to sample certain restaurants on a regular day rather than competing with the crowds during Dine Out.  Examples that come to mind include Hon’s, Chilli House Thai Bistro, and Tropika.

[I am also puzzled by the continued presence of certain restaurant chains that have been with Dine Out since the outset, but that's all I will say about that.]

Select by menu, not by reputation

If you’re like me, you’ve eagerly looked up the menu of a restaurant of high repute at the Tourism Vancouver site only to discover how truly ho-hum its Dine Out edition is.  The uninspired (re: cheap) offerings or plans that read like a workday set lunch turn me off from attempting an otherwise promising restaurant.

Make sure your palate is already salivating on what you’re going to eat or be prepared to have a less than stellar meal at a place that normally has a good reason to draw praise.

Share your Dine Out Vancouver experiences with others

Help your circle narrow down their dining choices by relating what you’ve enjoyed (or detested) in the past.  If not for the warnings from people that have already partaken in DB Bistro’s seemingly blah menu this year, I may have made a reservation there.  On my part, I’ll list places of note from our Dine Out history.

Pleased by:

• Imperial Chinese Seafood Restaurant
• Hart House
• Fleuri
• West
• Brix
• Raincity Grill
• Aqua Riva
• Provence Marinaside
• Rex Rotisserie & Grill

Disappointed by:

• Griffin’s
• Wild Rice
• Coast
• Horizons

Interested in:

• Bacchus
• Plan B
• Cassis
• Parkside

Feel free to leave me a comment about your past, present, and future with Dine Out Vancouver.

Since we were on the topic of Gastown, I thought it’d be a good time to re-publish my winning entry of Gastown’s Chambar, originally submitted for the Your Vancouver Dine-Out Experience contest hosted by Mealmax.com. Included are some of the helpful comments from friends that have also dined at Chambar.

Hope you share your thoughts about this place too. Overall it was good, but I need a little bit of convincing to come back.

Chambar has been at the top of my must-try list for the past 3 years. It’s in the top ten on opentable.com. Some of my friends swear by it. A mere 5 minute walk from my office and only 15 minutes away from home. But it’s so popular that you have to plan a Chambar night in advance; they are often fully booked for one or two weeks straight. We? We are not planners. We are spontaneous diners. Just ask our friends, who we normally call 30 minutes beforehand, sometimes not yet with a clue as to where to go. Thusly, Chambar cuisine has never touched my tastebuds until the first week of Dine Out Vancouver 2008.

First Impressions

With my sky-high expectations, I wish I could tell you that we loved this place from the get-go. Not the case. We arrived 5 minutes early only to wait nearly 30 minutes for our table to clear. I kept busy with shots of the bar, front hall, and exterior (here for your viewing pleasure), but my four companions were getting quite restless. After 2 incidents where we were asked to sit by the bar only to be scooted off the chairs by a different hostess, we were finally ushered, disgruntled, to our seats.

The evening got a lot more pleasant after this point. In fact, our table was worth every minute of our wait. We scored one of two pacman-shaped booths situated in the back room. The booth was upholstered in a super-funky, decadent, quilted red leather. It was a chic accent to the rest of the restaurant’s exposed brick, refurbished-warehouse look. How very Yaletown [sic; Yaletown, Gastown...brick is everywhere]. The trendy, slightly pretentious ambient music that had been blaring much too loudly at the front was buffered by the sexy leather booth, and gave the five of us an oasis in which to relax and anticipate the meal ahead.

The Food

Oh, the food. Everything sounded too good and everyone wanted to order the same dishes. I decided to take one for the team and order what the others didn’t want. But it happily didn’t turn out to be much of a sacrifice to be able to photograph and report on each dish. So here goes.

La Soupe de Mais et Crabe: Creamy corn puree with a generous toss of fresh crab chunks. Ran down the throat like velvet, with a little note of heat from the piment d’espellete. It was a mite salty for me but my husband liked it enough to resent me for the 2 spoonfuls I stole for my taste test.

La Salade d’Hiver: Passable for a salad competing with the likes of crab bisque and venison carpaccio. The endive and watercress were intriguing greens, but found the endive a little too bitter. Couldn’t get enough of the fig crostini that topped the dish. The cranberry and vanilla viniagrette was light and refreshing.

Carpaccio de Chevreuil: Everyone else at our table ordered this appetizer and wolfed it down enthusiastically. Jane donated a strip of venison for me. It was surprisingly tender…melt-in-your-mouth soft. No gamey notes whatsoever. The Yukon crisps and arugula provided colour and textural contrast while the horseradish lent it some kick.

Boeuf Braise a la Kriek: Ultra tender with a smoky, rich flavour. Jonny was not a huge fan of the cherry compote, which was too tart and didn’t complement the shortrib as well as he would have liked. He was also surprised to hear that the potato mash had hazelnut in it. Overall, he enjoyed his dish (although he kept stealing mussels from Jane).

Moules Congolaise: Chambar fans have told me to order this without question. Practically every table in the restaurant had at least a pot of mussels on it. And ours was no exception–Jane and Eileen both ordered it. They then proceeded to not talk for the duration of this course. My sample from Jane’s bowl was delicious. The flavour of the mussel itself was not the best I’ve ever had, but it was above average. The tomato coconut cream was extremely addictive and could probably be offered as a standalone soup. Jonny and I helped Jane drain the pot dry after all the mussels were gone.

Truite et Ravioli: My husband and I both had this. Beautifully plated with multicoloured layers of goat cheese ravioli, roasted pepper, and shaved fennel. It cemented trout as my new fish du jour. Kurt even thinks it rivals the trout we ordered at the famed Bouchon Bistro in Napa Valley (sister to Thomas Keller’s French Laundry). I will not make such bold claims about this dish, but every bite was indeed delectable, and I was sorry to not be able to finish everything on my plate.

Gaufre Liegoise: Belgian waffle with ice cream and chocolate sauce. I didn’t want to go near this one as it sounded mundane, like a deconstructed waffle cone. Those who ordered it enjoyed it, but it was not extraordinary.

Le Fromage: The daily cheese was a French blue, accompanied by quince jam and fig bread. It was mild for a blue cheese, and paired decently with the quince and bread. We have visited the fantabulous Salt much too recently for Jonny or I to be wowed by it. Jonny also expected to get multiple cheeses, and was therefore disappointed by the lack of selection and the smallness of the wedge.

Pot de creme: Silky smooth custard with a hint of green tea, served with a dollop of blueberry compote and a lemon sable biscuit. I love custards so this was my favourite of the desserts by a country mile. Would order this again without hesitation.

Final Thoughts

Maybe I’ve hyped it up too much in my mind, but personally, Chambar was a bit of a let-down. The service was courteous and friendly; the red leather booth was kick-ass; the food was above par and the drinks went well with everything. But for a restaurant this popular and this solidly booked every week, I expected more than “above par”. I expected spectacular. To be fair, this was a Dine Out Vancouver menu, and I am a tremendous food snob. Chambar is still worth a go, and we plan to give it a second shot long before the year is up.

Hope this review and the photos help you decide what your next meal is in the [Gastown] area.

Bonus! Comments from Others

My friend Grover has some additional tips and said it was okay to share them with you:

“Chambar is my favorite place. Little tip on Chambar to bypass reservations and enjoy the ambience – I never really do the entrée menu, I usually stroll in with a couple of peeps around 10:30ish and crash the front area (comfy couch) and pick from the appy menu (which includes the mussels) and the nice Belgian beer menu, and of course the dessert menu.

Late night recommendations from me:

• Mussels plus the bread roll for dipping with that special butter they have
• Cheese plate – 3 types of cheese (usually a brie, a blue, and a hard) with fig crackers
• Pommes Frites
• Beer – Duchesse du bourgogne if they have it in stock, It think Kurt might like the Kwak, Bellevue kriek if ur feeling sweet. Don’t know if they’ll ever have it, but ask for Gulden Draak – the best Belgian beer I’ve ever had (13% if I remember, smooooth tho), I keep asking for it when I go there hoping they’ll add it
• Martini – Blue Fig or Pear
• Dessert – Whatever the one is with the chocolate sauce – very well made. Just drink the stuff. “

These thoughts from Tien:

“If you want to get Gulden Draak, there’s a fantastic Imported Beer and Wine store not too far from where you live (actually I think it’s at the end of your block) across from Staples. I forget what it’s called, but the hotel it’s connected to is Modo?

[Tiny Bites note: the hotel is Moda and the store is Viti; they along with UVA wine bar comprise the hospitality trifecta that has further gentrified the Seymour & Smithe intersection. And yes, Viti is excellent for its selection of imported beers.]

I do have to agree with your thoughts on Chambar. I had gone there for a triple date and while we found the food to be above average, once you walk out of the restaurant, that’s really the end of the experience. It just didn’t seem very memorable. I would have to say, if I do go back to Chambar, it would be for the mussels. We got one of each pot and shared it amongst the 5 of us (there was 6 but one was vegetarian).”

Your turn: what do you think of Chambar?

Chambar
562 Beatty Street
Gastown, Vancouver
(604) 879-7119

What is Tiny Bites all about?

This site chronicles my attempts to savour everything that Vancouver’s culinary scene can offer. All this food writing and photography took shape on my personal blog, karenhamilton.ca, and now has its own home here at Tiny Bites. I hope to help you not only decide what to chew on tonight, but to keep you abreast of what the community is doing to promote sustainable dining and local, seasonal produce. You may also see recipes from our own kitchen whenever inspiration hits.

How did you get into food writing and photography?

My obsession with food has its origins in my family’s love of food. My mother is an amazing and adventurous home cook; we were happy to be her guinea pigs whenever she found something new to feed us. Once a month, the extended family would get together to bond around a smorgasbord of dishes. Food became associated with notable conversations and happy memories. It was only natural to follow in my mother’s cooking footsteps and meet up with friends over my or someone else’s dinner table.

When I moved to Winnipeg in 2003, it was like cutting a cord not only from friends and family but from this life of cooking and eating that I had taken for granted. In an effort to keep in touch with the people we left behind in Vancouver, I started a personal blog documenting our new life in the Prairies. It was peppered with my first foibles in the world of baking. My techie job at the time happened to be at a digital photo lab, so I was endowed with an informal education in digital post-processing and unlimited use of a Canon Powershot A60 that got me hooked on photography.

Upon returning to Vancouver in late 2004, I kept up the blog, this time to stay in touch with the new friends and family that we were leaving in Winnipeg. My husband and I got into cooking gourmet meals at home and we started to explore the restaurants in Vancouver as if we had never eaten in the city before. When my husband gifted me with a Canon Powershot S2 complete with supermacro functionality, I went from being camera happy to being supermacro obsessed. My main subject matter was food. Sharing these photos on Flickr introduced me to an entire community of foodies that also took photos of their meals. Friendships were established and people began to suggest that I start a blog just for food.

I was reluctant to maintain a separate blog for food, so I put it off for a long time. It was mostly due to laziness. But a lot of it was committment phobia: I have so many other hobbies that it seemed unfair to place my love of food over my other long-established passions like swing and salsa dancing.

Since my upgrade to a dSLR in Fall 2007, I noticed that the food-related articles had started to take over my personal blog. My brother and select friends routinely called for restaurant recommendations. It also dawned on me that toting my giant camera to eateries had become second nature, and that our circle of friends have become so resigned to my frantic food photography that they already expect to starve a little while I set up the shots. When I won a local restaurant reviewing contest, and when Salt Tasting Room linked to my Flickr photo album from their home page, it was made clear that my obsession with food is more than just a passing fancy.

And thusly, Tiny Bites was born.

Can I hire you to do photography? 

Why yes, you certainly can. Jump on over to Tiny Bites Consulting and take a look at my photography services overview.

May I borrow your photos for [insert reason here]?

You can purchase the appropriate rights to use my photography outside of Tiny Bites. This holds especially true for commercial use.

I’m not happy to find that my photos have been “borrowed” for sites and blogs without my a) prior knowledge and b) written consent. If you do want to use some of my work and want to see whether you can skip the usage fee, drop me a line.  You may not need to pay if you ask nicely.

If you run a commercial site (one that makes money through the site or displays ads) and you use my photo without prior consent, you may hear from me in the form of an invoice. So be forewarned.

Are you open to trying a restaurant or checking out an event with me?

Of course! I’m up for taste testing anything in the Greater Vancouver area or buddying up for local foodie gatherings. So submit your questions, recommendations, or requests and I’ll do my best to accommodate.

Enough about me…what about you? Leave me a comment to say hi!