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Restaurant listings January 26, 2006

Thursday, January 26th, 2006

Mia Stainsby
Sun

A list of restaurants recommended and anonymously visited by Sun restaurant critic Mia Stainsby. Prices are per couple for three courses, with a glass of wine each, before tip and taxes.

$ means $50 or less

$$ means $50 to $100

$$$ means more than $100

– – –

– WEST COAST

Aurora Bistro The first fine dining room on Main St. Inventive food, hip spot. 2420 Main St., 604-873-9944. $$

Bishop’s Consistently one of the city’s best. Almost 100 per cent organic foods. 2183 West Fourth Ave., 604-738-2025. $$$

Bin 941 Tapas bar in tiny eclectic space. 941 Davie St., 604-683-1246. $$/$$$

Bin 942 Creative, delectable tapas dishes. 1521 West Broadway, 604-734-9421. $$/$$$

Bridges For fine dining, head upstairs, and for casual, try the downstairs bistro. 1696 Duranleau, 604-687-4400. $$/$$$

Brix Large tapas selection, 60 wines by the glass. 1138 Homer St., 604-915-9463. $$/$$$

Chartwell Beautiful food, wonderful service. Four Seasons Hotel, 791 West Georgia St. 604-689-9333. $$$

Cru Blurs the lines of fine dining, lounge and bistro. Lovely “small plates” or a four-course prix fixe. 1459 West Broadway, 604-677-4111. $$

Diva at the Met High-end food, gorgeously presented. Metropolitan Hotel, 645 Howe St., 604-602-7788. $$$

Feenie’s Comfort food with a modern tweak and quality ingredients. 2563 West Broadway, 604-739-7115. $/$$

Fiction Young crowd, great tapas dishes. 3162 West Broadway, 604-736-7576. $$

Glowbal Grill and Satay Bar Hip, happening destination. Creative chef. 1079 Mainland St., 604-602-0835. $$

Lift Bar and Grill Gorgeously perched over Coal Harbour. Sibling to Monk McQueen’s. 333 Menchions Mews, 604-689-5438. $$$

Lucy Mae Brown Intimate space, assertive dishes. 862 Richards St., 604-899-9199. $$

Nu A sophisticated version of casual dining. Beautiful flavours, great atmosphere. 1661 Granville St., 604-646-4668. $$

Parkside Handsome room in residential West End, richly flavoured food. Great spot. 1906 Haro, 604-683-6912. $$/$$$

Raincity Grill A Vancouver moment by English Bay. Regional food. 1193 Denman St., 604-685-7337. $$$

Show Case West Coast menu that doesn’t shy from adventure. Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Hotel, 1128 West Hastings St., 604-639-4040. $$$

Watermark Stunning Kits Beach view, sexy architecture, casual food. 1305 Arbutus St., 604-738-5487. $$

West Vies for best restaurant in the city. 2881 Granville St., 604-738-8938. $$$

– ITALIAN

Adesso Neighbourhood Italian spot with light, elegant food. 2201 West First Ave., 604-738-6515. $$

Amarcord Food from the Bologna and Emilia Romagna area of Italy, elegantly presented. Clear, natural flavours. 1168 Hamilton St., 604-681-6500. $$

Borgo Antico Tuscan looks. Fine Italian food. 321 Water St., 604-683-8376. $$/$$$

Cin Cin Restaurant and Bar A well-coiffed crowd. Entrees, pasta and pizzas. Nice summer patio. 1154 Robson St., 604-688-7338. $$/$$$

Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill Fine Italian cuisine with a light touch. 1133 Hamilton St., 604-688-7466. $$$

Don Francesco Ristorante Romantic, classic Italian restaurant with heart. 860 Burrard St., 604-685-7770. $$$

Il Giardino “New Italian” food, light with exotic elements. Big on game. 1382 Hornby St., 604-669-2422. $$$.

Incendio Great wood-oven pizzas, robust lineup of pastas. 103 Columbia St., 604-688-8694. $/$$

Incendio West Same as above, but in modern digs. 2118 Burrard St., 604-736-2220. $/$$

La Terrazza Knock-out looks, intelligent and friendly staff, traditional Italian food. 1088 Cambie St., 604-899-4449. $$$

Lombardo’s Pizzeria and Restaurant Serving pizza lovers for years. 1641 Commercial Dr., 604-251-2240. $

Quattro on Fourth An Italian restaurant with flair. 2611 West Fourth Ave., 604-734-4444. $$/$$$

– CHINESE

Hon’s Wun-Tun House Slurp noodles and chomp on delicious potstickers. Huge menu. 1339 Robson St., 604-685-0871. $

Imperial Seafood Fine Cantonese food, (expensive) in the lovely Marine Building. 355 Burrard St., 604-688-8191. $$$

Kirin Seafood Exquisite Cantonese food. City Square, 555 West 12th Ave., 604-879-8038. $$$

Pink Pearl It’s been around forever and is still a going concern. 1132 East Hastings St., 604-253-4316. $

Sun Sui Wah Cantonese cuisine with light, finely tuned flavours. 3888 Main St., 604-872-8822. $$

Szechuan Chongqing An institution for those who love the incendiary fare. 2808 Commercial Dr., 604-254-7434. $$

Wild Rice Modern Chinese food in a sophisticated, hip setting. 117 West Pender St., 604-642-2882. $$

– JAPANESE

Ajisai Sushi Bar Small neighbourhood spot with sushi that sings. 2081West42nd Ave., 604-266-1428. $

Bistro Sakana Exciting Japanese food with French and Italian curve balls. 1123 Mainland St., 604-633-1280. $$

Black Tuna Tapas style Japanese dishes, sushi, lovingly cooked. 202 — 1184 Denman St., 604-408-7557. $$

Chopstick Cafe/Shiru-Bay Great atmosphere, intriguing izakaya food, budget prices. 1193 Hamilton St., 604-408-9315. $$

En Japanese Restaurant Bucks the usual conformity of Japanese restaurants. Splendid food. 2686 Granville St., 604-730-0330. $$

Gyoza King Gyozas reign supreme. Open late. 1508 Robson St., 604-669-8278. $

Hapa Izakaya Young and stylish; great izakaya-style Japanese food. 1479 Robson St., 604-689-4272. $/$$

Japone Wonderfully inventive dishes on the ‘chef’s specials’ menu. 8269 Oak St., 604-263-6708. $$

Sushi Wabi Sabi Exciting contemporary Japanese food. 4422 West 10th Ave., 604-222-8188. $$

Tojo’s Restaurant The topper in this category. Japanese food at its best. 202 — 777 West Broadway, 604-872-8050. $$$

Toshi Sushi Tiny place always packed for the fresh, tasty sushi. 181 East 16th Ave., 604-847-5173. $/$$

Umami A hybrid of Japanese and Mediterranean, the food is ambitious and creative. Good value wines. 572 Davie St., 604-696-9563. $$

Yuji’s Expect the unexpected. Food takes some creative turns. 2059 West Fourth Ave., 604-734-4990. $$

Zest Japanese Cuisine Grazing style modern Japanese menu in cool modern room. 2775 West 16th Ave., 604-731-9378. $$

– FRENCH/BELGIAN

Bacchus Restaurant Some classics, some nouveau. Expect the best. Wedgewood Hotel, 845 Hornby St., 604-689-7777. $$$

Cafe de Paris Traditional French bistro. Lots of character. 751 Denman St., 604-687-1418. $$

Cassis Bistro Low budget but mod interior. Delicious traditional French bistro fare. Good value. 420 West Pender St., 604-605-0420. $$

Chambar Modern Belgian food. Hot hipster scene. Chef has cooked in a three-star Michelin restaurant. 562 Beatty St., 604-879-7119. $$

Elixir French brasserie in Yaletown; bistro food, haute quality. 322 Davie St., 604-642-0557. $$/$$$

Le Crocodile Refined French with incredible wines to boot. 909 Burrard St., 604-669-4298. $$$

Le Gavroche French food in a charming old house. 1616 Alberni St., 604-685-3924. $$$

The Hermitage Beautifully controlled classic French cooking. Quiet atmosphere. 1025 Robson St., 604-689-3237. $$$

Lumiere Chef Rob Feenie redefines restaurants in Vancouver. Tasting menus. 2551 West Broadway, 604-739-8185. $$$

Mistral Authentic Provencal food cooked by former Michelin chef. 2585 West Broadway, 604-733-0046. $$

Pastis French bistro with a lightness of being. 2153 West Fourth Ave., 604-731-5020. $$/$$$

Salade de Fruits Very good value French country bistro. 1551 West Seventh, 604-714-5987. $$

The William Tell A Swiss-French restaurant. Service excels. Georgian Court Hotel, 773 Beatty St., 604-688-3504. $$$

– GREEK

Apollonia Well-prepared Greek food and very good pizzas. 1830 Fir St., 604-736-9559. $/$$

Bouzyos Greek Taverna Lively atmosphere, better than average Greek food. 1815 Commercial Dr., 604-254-2533. $$

Kalamata Greek Taverna A popular souvlaki stop dressed in the familiar white and blue. 478 West Broadway, 604-872-7050. $$

The Main Friendly, funky spot. Wonderful roast lamb. 4210 Main St., 604-709-8555. $$

Maria’s Taverna Friendly service. 2324 West Fourth Ave., 604-731-4722. $$

Simpatico Thirty-plus years old; traditional Greek restaurant with the addition of good pizzas. 2222 West Fourth Ave., 604733-6824. $/$$

Stepho’s Nightly lineups because of low prices. 1124 Davie St., 604-683-2555. $

– INDIAN

Akbar’s Own Mogul-style Indian cuisine. 1905 West Broadway, 604-736-8180. $$

Chutney Villa South Indian cuisine, with dosas, idli and vadas. 147 East Broadway, 604-872-2228. $/$$

Clove An alternative Indian restaurant, funky, cheap beyond belief. 2054 Commercial Dr., 604-255-5550. $

Clove Upscale sibling to Clove on Commercial. Modern Indian cuisine. 735 Denman St., 604-669-2421. $/$$

Indica Indian dishes with western tweaks. Charming. 1795 Pendrell St., 604-609-3530. $

Maurya Fine Indian food in glam surroundings. 1643 West Broadway, 604-742-0622. $$$

Rangoli Vij’s casual and take-out next-door sidekick. Impressive. 1488 West 11th Ave., 604-736-5711. $

Samosa Garden Smooth sauces, lovely food, good service. 3502 Kingsway, 604-437-3502. $$

Tamarind A hip spin-off from the traditional Rubina Tandoori restaurant with modern elements. 1626 West Broadway, 604-733-5335. $$

Vij’s Dishes are a symphony of wondrous flavours. 1480 West 11th Ave., 604-736-6664. $$

Yogi’s Hip, contemporary Indian food, perfect for The Drive. 1408 Commercial Dr., 604-251-9644. $

– SOUTHEAST ASIAN

Banana Leaf Homestyle Malaysian food. 820 West Broadway, 604-731-6333 and 1096 Denman St., 604-683-3333. $$

Chi Modern take on Malaysian and Thai cuisines. 1796 Nanaimo St., 604-215-0078. $$

Kedah House Halal Restaurant Malaysian food with a light, nimble touch. 5750 Fraser St., 604-325-9771. $

Monsoon An “East-West” brasserie with tropical Asian dishes, loads of atmosphere. 2526 Main St., 604-879-4001. $$

Montri Thai Restaurant Some of the best Thai food in the city. 3629 West Broadway, 604-738-9888. $$

Phnom Penh Largely Cambodian but includes Chinese and Vietnamese flavours. 244 East Georgia St., 682-5777. $

Pondok Authentic Indonesian dishes, freshly cooked. 2781 Commercial Dr., 604-872-8718. $$

Salathai Thai Dishes are freshly prepared and consistent. 3364 Cambie St., 604-875-6999. $$

Sawasdee Thai Gracious service keeps the regulars hooked. 4250 Main St., 604-876-4030. $$

Simply Thai On the A-list for Thai food. 1211 Hamilton St., 604-642-0123. $$

– SEAFOOD

Bluewater Cafe and Raw Bar Handsome spot. Impressive seafood, impressive wine list. 1095 Hamilton St., 604-688-8078. $$$

C Chef Robert Clark takes seafood to a new level. 1600 Howe St., 604-681-1164. $$$

Cannery Seafood Fine dining in rustic nautical decor on working waterfront. 2205 Commissioner St., 604-254-9606 $$$

Coast Restaurant Yaletown chic, shares kinship with Glowbal Grill and Satay. Seafood emphasis. 1157 Hamilton St., 604-685-5010. $$$

Fish Cafe Unpretentious, straight-ahead seafood at bargain prices. 2053 West 41st Ave., 604-267-3474. $

Fish House in Stanley Park Bold and imaginative seafood dishes by the creative Karen Barnaby. 8901 Stanley Park Dr., 604-681-7275. $$$

Go Fish Fab fish and chips and much more, dished out of a catering truck, made with fish from the adjacent Fisherman’s Wharf. 1505 West First Ave., 604-730-5040. $

Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House Fresh shucked oysters, cedar plank salmon, grilled chops. High energy. 777 Thurlow St., 604-669-1940. $$$

Rodney’s Oyster House Specializes in very fresh shellfish and oysters. 1228 Hamilton St., 604-609-0080. $$

– AMERICAN

Memphis Blues Barbecue House Slow-cooked, southern style BBQ. Delish. 1465 West Broadway, 604-738-6806; 1342 Commercial Dr., 604-215-2599. $

– VEGETARIAN

Bo Kong Buddhist-based menu using very fresh ingredients. Mild flavours. 3068 Main St., 604-876-3088. $

Greens and Gourmet Meals priced by weight. Flavours from around the world. 2582 West Broadway, 604-737-7373. $

Habibi’s Lebanese food. Not the same old, same old. 1128 West Broadway, 604-732-7487. $

The Naam Wide variety of vegetarian fare. Quiet patio in summer. 2724 West Fourth Ave., 604-738-7151. $

Om Vegetarian Flavourful, fresh Buddhist-based vegetarian food. 3466 Cambie St., 604-873-6878. $

Raw Raw veggie and fruit dishes (preserves enzymes) as well as cooked. Food is 80 to 90 per cent organic. 1849 West First Ave., 604-737-0420. $

– LATIN AMERICA

Banano’s No-frills Venezuelan/Colombian cafe. Delicious arepas. 1223 Pacific Boulevard, 604-408-4228. $

Baru Casually chic South American food for discerning diners. 2535 Alma St., 604-222-9171. $$

Havana Cuban food, tweaked for Commercial Drive. 1212 Commercial Dr., 604-253-9119. $

Latin Quarter Mexican and Mediterranean tapas dishes as well as music in the evenings. 1305 Commercial Dr., 604-251-1144. $$

Lolita’s South of the Border Cantina Casual Mexican food with sparkle. Lots of buzz in the room. 1326 Davie St., 604-696-9996. $$

Mexico Sabroso A slice of Mexico. Very inexpensive, authentic Mexican cafe. 440 West Hastings St., 604-688-7426. $

Mouse and Bean Fresh, homey Mexican food, in a funky space. 207 West Hastings, 604-633-1781. $

Rinconcito Salvadorean Restaurant Fresh Salvadorean cuisine. Lovely pupusas. 2062 Commercial Dr., 604-879-2600. $

Tio Pepe’s Yucatan food, nicely prepared. 1134 Commercial Dr., 604-254-8999. $

– MEDITERRANEAN

Circolo Italian, French, and a little bit of New York. Awesome wine list. 1116 Mainland, 604-687-1116. $$$

Provence Mediterranean Grill The menu is a marriage of French and Italian. Lovely flavours. 4473 West 10th Ave., 604-222-1980 and 1177 Marinaside Cres., 604-681-4144. $$

– EASTERN EUROPEAN, CENTRAL ASIAN

Accent Eastern European, French, Russian accents on a continental theme. 1967 West Broadway, 604-734-6660. $$

The Budapest Big doses of Hungarian comfort. Smouldering goulash soup. 3250 Main St. 604-877-1949. $

Rasputin Large selection of vodkas, wonderful live music and dishes such as grilled Georgian cornish game hen. 457 West Broadway, 604-879-6675.$$

– NORTH SHORE

Beach House at Dundarave Pier Spectacular setting for brunch by Dundarave Beach. West Coast cuisine. 150 25th St., West Van, 604-922-1414. $$$

Beach Side Cafe Elegant room, summer patio, fine Italian cuisine. 1362 Marine Dr., West Van, 604-925-1945. $$$

Bravo Cucina Traditional Italian, cooked with care. 1209 Lonsdale Ave., North Van, 604-985-3006. $$

Brown’s Restaurant and Bar Casually chic and bustling bistro with burgers, rice bowls, entrees. 1764 Lonsdale Ave., North Van, 604-929-5401. $/$$

Dundarave Fish Market Charming spot; fabulous seafood from the adjoining fish market. 2419 Marine Dr., West Vancouver, 604-922-1155. $

Gusto Di Quattro Cosy, warm. Italian food. 1 Lonsdale Ave., North Van, 604-924-4444 . $$/$$$

La Regalade A truly, deeply French bistro. Wonderful atmosphere. 2232 Marine Dr., West Van, 604-921-2228. $$/$$$

Mythos Whitewashed walls, azure blue trim say “sun-drenched Greece.” 1811 Lonsdale Ave., North Van, 604-984-7411. $$

Nobu Tiny, with just enough room to make the lovely sushi. 3197 Edgemont Blvd.,North Van., 604-988-4553. $

Palki An Indian restaurant with a good grip on the spices. Fresh ingredients. 116 East 15th St., North Van, 604-986-7555. $$

Saltaire Gorgeous roof patio. Good value West Coast food. 2nd floor – 235 15th St., West Van, 604-913-8439. $$

Zen Japanese Restaurant Creative kitchen, quality ingredients. Good sake list. 2232 Marine Dr., West Van, 604-925-0667. $$/$$$

– BURNABY/NEW WEST

Anton’s Gargantuan portions of pasta. No reservations. 4260 Hastings St., Burnaby, 604-299-6636. $$

Boat House Conservative seafood menu. Restaurant overlooks Fraser River. 900 Quayside, New Westminster, 604-525-3474. $$

Bombay Bhel Lovely Indian food. Menu features Mumbai-style snacks. 4266 Hastings St., 604-299-2500. $/$$

The Hart House In Tudor mansion. Exacting West Coast fare. 6664 Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby, 604-298-4278. $$$

Orange Room Casual tapas. International flavours. 620 Sixth Ave., New Westminster, 604-520-6464. $$

Pear Tree Small menu, sublime continental food. 4120 Hastings St., Burnaby, 604-299-2772. $$$

Stefanos Restaurant Live music and dancing, Friday and Saturday nights. Mediterranean food with Greek dishes. 315 Columbia St., New Westminster, 604-520-9911. $$

Taverna Greka Greek cuisine. View of Fraser River. 326 Columbia, New Westminster, 604-526-6651. $$

Vassili Souvlaki Greek Taverna Traditional Greek foods with no reticence when it comes to portions. 6558 Kingsway, Burnaby, 604-434-0626. $$

– COQUITLAM, POCO, PORT MOODY

Joey Tomato’s Mediterranean Grill Casual family retaurant. 550 Lougheed Hwy., Coquitlam, 604-939-3077

John B Pub Above-average pub food. 1000 Austin Ave., Coquitlam, 604-931-5115. $$

Kirin Seafood Restaurant Chinese food for the discriminating palate. 2nd floor, Henderson Place, 1163 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam, 604-944-8833. $$/$$$

Pasta Polo Organic wheat pastas, pizzas. Family restaurant. 2754 Barnet Highway, Coquitlam, 604-464-7656. $/$$

– RICHMOND

Also Lounge and Restaurant A blend of Italian/French with Asian accents and high-end presentation. 4200 No. 3 Rd., Richmond, 604-303-9906. $$

Big River Brewing Co. Pub, serving casual food. 14200 Entertainment Blvd., Richmond, 604-271-2739. $/$$

Bo Kong Restaurant Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. No alcohol. 8100 Ackroyd Rd., Richmond, 604-278-1992. $

The Flying Beaver Bar Funky bar overlooking the Fraser River. 4760 Inglis Dr., Richmond, 604-273-0278. $/$$

Globe at YVR Impressive food, sleek contemporary decor with view of U.S. arrivals terminal. Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver Airport, Richmond, 604-248-3281. $$$

Hon’s Wun-Tun House Noodles and delicious pot stickers, panfried or steamed. 4600 No. 3 Road, Richmond, 604-273-0871. $

Quilon Restaurant Southern Indian cuisine with notably delicious dosas. 6030 No. 3 Road, Richmond, 604-303-0011. $$

The Rainbow Vegetarian Restaurant Deliciously prepared vegan and vegetarian Buddhist Chinese food. 8095 Park Road, Richmond, 604-273-7311. $

Shanghai River Shanghai style cuisine. Dumplings and noodles made in open kitchen. 7831 Westminster Highway, 604-233-8885. $$

Shiang Garden Part of a successful Taiwanese restaurant chain. Impressive seafood. 2200 — 4540 No. 3 Rd., Richmond, 604-273-8858. $$

Sun Sui Wah Impressive way with seafood. 4940 No. 3 Rd., Richmond, 604-273-8208. $$

Zen Fine Chinese Cuisine Multi-coursed tasting menus and personalized dinners. Excellent. 2015 — 8580 Alexandra Rd., Richmond, 604-233-0077. $$$

– SURREY, WHITE ROCK, DELTA, TSAWWASSEN

Big Ridge Brewing Co. A Mark James restaurant and brew-pub. Families welcome. 15133 Hwy. 10, Surrey, 604-574-2739. $$

Crescent Beach Bistro Rustic country spot. Straight ahead food. 12251 Beecher St., 604-531-1882. $$

Giraffe Charming place, eclectic West Coast menu. 15053 Marine Dr., White Rock, 604-538-6878. $$/$$$

Hazelmere Golf and Tennis Club West Coast cuisine. Hazelmere Golf and Tennis Club, 18150 — Eighth Ave., Surrey, 604-538-1212 $$/$$

La Belle Auberge In a heritage house in Ladner. Sublime French food. 4856 48th Ave., Ladner, 604-946-7717. $$$

Northview Golf and Country Club High-end dining, nestled amid acres of golf fairways. 6857 168th St., Surrey, 604-574-0324. $$$

Pearl on the Rock Modern Pacific Northwest cuisine with emphasis on seafood. Delicious fare. 14955 Marine Dr., White rock. 604-542-1064. $$$

Southside Grill West Coast cuisine, tasteful ambience. 1201 — 56th St., Tsawwassen, 604-948-2662. $$/$$$

Uli’s Restaurant Continental cuisine on busy restaurant strip. Water view. 15021 Marine Dr., White Rock, 604-538-9373. $$

– FRASER VALLEY

Bacchus Bistro At Domain de Chaberton Estate Winery. Limited hours. Mediterranean food. 1064 — 216th St., Langley. 604-530-9694. $$

Bravo Bistro Swish little bistro, run by former Delilah’s restaurant veterans. 46224 Yale Rd., Chilliwack. 1-604-792-7721. $$

G.M. Restaurant Modest melodic with Indian food. 20726 Lougheed Highway, Maple Ridge, 604-463-7877. $

Paliotti’s Ristorante Italiano Cosy, old-fashioned Italian restaurant. Kids’ menu too. 12018 Edge St. (at Dewdney Trunk Rd.), Maple Ridge, 604-463-8926. $$

– SQUAMISH AND WHISTLER

Araxi Restaurant & Bar Handsome Tuscan looks, regional cuisine. Outstanding wine list. 4222 Village Square, Whistler, 604-932-4540. $$/$$$

Brew House Rustic with cedar and timbers. Casual food for the family and house brews. 4355 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, 604-905-2739. $$

Ciao Thyme Small and crowded but a budget-minded jewel. Great breakfasts. 4573 Chateau Boulevard, Whistler, 604-932-7051. $

Caramba! Mostly Italian but Spanish, Asian and regional flavours sneak in. 4314 Main St., Whistler, 604-938-1879. $/$$

Fifty Two 80 Bistro Every dish a ‘wow’. Gorgeous room. Four Seasons Hotel, 4591 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, 604-935-3400. $$$

Howe Sound Inn and Brewing Co. The brew pub serves casual fare. The Red Heather dining room offers a finer menu. 37801 Cleveland Ave., Squamish, 604-892-2603. $/$$$

Il Caminetto di Umberto Umberto Menghi’s high-end Whistler restaurant. Features include game. 4242 Village Stroll, Whistler, 604-932-4442. $$/$$$

The Roadhouse Diner at Klahanie Pasta, light meals, entrees with West Coast flavours. Shannon Falls, Highway 99, 604-892-5312. $$

La Rua Refined tastes of the Mediterranean with B.C. backups. Romantic. Le Chamois Hotel, 4557 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, 604-932-5011. $$/$$$

Quattro at Whistler Contemporary Italian cuisine. 4319 Main St., Whistler, 604-905-4844. $$/$$$

Rim Rock Cafe Chalet style restaurant consistently offers exquisite food. 2117 Whistler Rd., Whistler, 604-932-5565. $$$

Trattoria di Umberto Tucked away from the throngs but always packed.Lovely affordable Italian food. 4417 Sundial Place, 604-932-5858. $$/$$$

Val d’Isere Fine French, but casual atmosphere. Bear Lodge, 4314 Main St., Town Plaza, 604-932-4666. $$$

Posted in Restaurants | Comments Off on Restaurant listings January 26, 2006

Noose tightens on BlackBerry

Tuesday, January 24th, 2006

U.S. Supreme Court refuses to intervene; judge can rule on injunction request

Sun

WASHINGTON — The fate of the BlackBerry may be decided by a federal district judge now that the U.S. Supreme Court has chosen not to intervene in a patent dispute between NTP Inc. and Research In Motion Ltd.

Although Judge James R. Spencer could impose an injunction and block use of the BlackBerry wireless e-mail service used by an estimated three million subscribers in the United States, many analysts expect RIM to strike a deal with the patent-holder or introduce changes to work around the patents.

Even if Spencer orders a partial shutdown, analysts said, he is likely to give users 30 days or more to switch to competing companies that provide wireless e-mail service.

Lawyers for NTP Inc., a small northern Virginia firm that says it owns the patent on the technology that makes the BlackBerry work, have said government and emergency workers would be exempt from any BlackBerry blackout.

Others who have come to rely on the device — such as lawyers, business travelers and brokers — might be out of luck.

Research in Motion, a Canadian company with a global business built on the success of the BlackBerry, had asked the justices to weigh in to decide whether U.S. patent law is technologically out of date in the age of the Internet and the global marketplace.

At issue was how U.S. law applies to technology that is used in a foreign country and allegedly infringes on the intellectual property rights of a patent-holder in the United States.

RIM had contended it cannot be held liable for patent infringement because its main relay station for e-mail and data transmission is located in Waterloo, Ont., where the company has its headquarters.

A federal appeals court upheld a jury decision at the district court level that found the BlackBerry infringed on the patents held by NTP. The appellate court also said it did not matter where the relay station is located.

Stephen B. Maebius, a Washington patent lawyer, said the Supreme Court’s refusal to intervene on Monday leaves RIM with one less option.

“The noose is getting a little tighter,” he said.

Maebius said Spencer is unlikely to be influenced by separate proceedings by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where RIM has won a preliminary victory. The patents office could issue its final rejections of NTP’s patents in coming weeks.

Spencer, meanwhile, has set a Feb. 1 deadline for filings on whether he should issue an injunction.

Kevin Anderson, one of the lawyers that represents NTP, said the firm is pleased with the court’s action.

“We think the Supreme Court’s rejection of RIM’s position makes it clear that RIM should stop defying the U.S. legal system,” he said.

RIM sought to play down the significance of the court’s rejection.

“RIM has consistently acknowledged that Supreme Court review is granted in only a small percentage of cases and we were not banking on Supreme Court review,” said Mark Guibert, RIM’s vice-president for corporate marketing.

“RIM’s legal arguments for the district court remain strong and our software workaround designs remain a solid contingency.”

Since its introduction in 1999, the BlackBerry has revolutionized the business world, allowing people to stay in constant e-mail contact with their offices and customers while they are away from their desktop computers.

The uncertainty spawned by the case has contributed to volatility in RIM’s stock.

At the Toronto Stock Exchange, RIM stock initially plunged nearly six per cent to as low as $72 Cdn on the Toronto Stock Exchange just after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision was released but the shares quickly recovered.

The stock closed at $73.50, well below its intraday high of $77.24 and down $3 or nearly four per cent from Friday.

In New York, where a much higher volume of RIM stock is traded, the shares closed at $64.25 US, down $2.37.

The legal fight began in 2001, when NTP sued RIM for infringement. The next year, a jury in Richmond decided that RIM had infringed on patents held by NTP, awarding the company 5.7 per cent of U.S. BlackBerry sales.

Spencer later increased that rate to 8.55 per cent.

At last count, the tally of damages and fees had exceeded $200 million.

In a court filing last week, NTP said it was willing to resolve the matter if RIM were to pay the original 5.7-per-cent royalty fee, Anderson said.

The case is RIM v. NTP, 05-763.

Posted in Technology Related Articles | Comments Off on Noose tightens on BlackBerry

Holt Renfrew plans major expansion at Pacific Centre

Tuesday, January 24th, 2006

Sun

Pacific Centre will lose about 20 retail tenants by the end of this month as they make way for upscale fashion retailer Holt Renfrew’s plan to open a new 121,000-square-foot store at the north end of the downtown Vancouver mall by the spring of 2007.

Old Navy has closed its Pacific Centre outlet, while other mall retailers, including Da Mincci Jewellers, Grafton & Co., Bentley, and Payless Shoe Source, hold closing-out sales to prepare for their exits.

Cadillac Fairview vice-president Stuart Swain said some tenants will be found other space in the mall, but details remain to be worked out. Pacific Centre’s food court will move to the “Bay wing” in the south portion of the mall by the end of this year.

Holt Renfrew will move from its existing 67,000-square-foot location on the south side of the shopping centre, leaving space to be filled by other retailers.

A Holt Renfrew spokesman said very little about the company’s plans for its new flagship Vancouver store, but revealed it will be designed by noted New York interior design firm Janson Goldstein.

Swain said company officials are negotiating with the City of Vancouver over public space issues associated with the redevelopment, noting much of the discussion involves the new Canada Line transit station, which will be under Granville Street, between Robson and Georgia.

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The BlackBerry revolution

Tuesday, January 24th, 2006

Users of the Research in Motion device keep growing in numbers and devotion to its merits

Peter Wilson
Sun

Darryl Rawlings, president of Vetinsurance who is shown with his dog Charlie, says he gets 500 … Photograph by : Bill Keay, Vancouver Sun

Tech firm executive Idris Mootee admits he’s addicted. And it’s been that way for about a year and a half — ever since he got his BlackBerry.

He carries it everywhere — checking his e-mail in elevator lobbies, in cabs, before a plane takes off and when he’s trapped in a boring meeting.

“When somebody is saying something not very interesting, the sign of that is that you see everybody kind of looking down and typing away on their BlackBerry,” said Mootee, Toronto-based vice-president for strategy at Vancouver’s Blast Radius.

It even makes him uneasy to turn his BlackBerry off on the weekend, in case he might be missing something. And he’s never lost it because he makes sure he has it everywhere he goes.

Mootee is by no means alone in this addiction, which is so prevalent that the device — which provides users with e-mail anywhere anytime — has long been labelled the Crackberry for its ability to keep users coming back for more day-after-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute.

And the user base just keeps on growing. From the end of August to Nov. 26, Canadian-owned Research in Motion (RIM) — maker of the BlackBerry — added 645,000 subscribers worldwide to a total of 4.3 million, most of them in the United States.

RIM has said it expects to add another 700,000 to 750,000 subscribers this quarter.

Originally, the largest number of users of the BlackBerry were those in the financial industry, who, by law, had to keep track of all their communications, and found that the device was a perfect way of doing that.

Now BlackBerrys are commonly found in the legal industry — where lawyers can quickly communicate with colleagues outside the courtroom for key information without disrupting the proceedings.

They’re also popular with business development specialists, investment bankers and the like.

And the push now is into sales forces and in-the-field workers like technicians who have to keep equipment up and running and need to be extremely quick in reacting to emergencies.

Like most BlackBerry users, Mootee sees his device as giving him more flexibility.

“You get out there doing other stuff and then you can resolve something with a couple of sentences,” said Mootee. “So it does bring a lot of productivity.

“Using it doesn’t mean you work longer, because the work is still there. If you don’t answer this thing today, then it will come back to you the next morning.”

And, naturally, RIM has a study, done by Ipsos Reid in 2004, that backs up the idea that using a BlackBerry makes you more efficient.

Ninety-eight per cent of BlackBerry users surveyed said the device allowed them to convert downtime into productive time — with the average user saying they recovered 47 minutes in downtime each work day and saved almost half an hour a day in personal time.

The study also said that because of this efficiency, companies can save $21,000 US a year per user, who, on average, process 2,750 time-sensitive e-mails while out of the office each year and make 1,400 external phone calls annually.

Darryl Rawlings, the West Vancouver-based president of Vetinsurance Ltd., which provides medical insurance for dogs and cats, uses his BlackBerry to keep up with as many as 500 e-mails a day.

He said that having a BlackBerry means he or others on his staff can deal quickly with a problem when there’s an emergency.

“Our business is 24 hours a day in that dogs and cats can get hit by cars or do all sorts of things and in some cases our call centre can’t deal with them,” said Rawlings. “It’s a way you can have more managers on duty at the same time as they’re out enjoying their life.”

However, Rawlings finds himself concerned with the cost, which at 500 messages a day amounts to $6,000 a month.

He’s hoping to find a better way to handle this in the future, perhaps with a WiFi phone that will connect with the Net without him having to pay by the volume of messages.

West Vancouver-based realtor Karin Morris said she found her BlackBerry a major help when she went on a European vacation with her husband.

She used it to keep up with what was happening with her listings and clients back home, as well as dealing with meeting friends in Provence and with problems that arose at home, where she has several foreign students boarding with her.

“Any messages I got from clients I forwarded to the realtor who was looking after my work while I was away,” said Morris. “And then the realtor was able to e-mail me and ask me questions.”

At one point Morris got an offer on a property and was able to communicate back and forth about that.

“It would have been really hard to do that by phone because of the time difference,” said Morris. “I was able to keep up on a daily basis with the work that was going on.”

And when a crisis arose when one of her boarding students decided to head off to Victoria during the recent teachers’ strike without telling anyone, she was able to handle that as well.

“We were in France, Italy and Portugal and it worked just like I was here,” said Morris. “It worked beautifully.”

And, when she went to New York to see her son who lives there, she was able to stay in touch.

“I was able to e-mail him about the pickup and where we would meet,” said Morris.

Mootee said the BlackBerry has become a new kind of social habit, which still has people struggling with the proper balance brought on by multi-tasking and the information overload.

But he believes these are problems mainly of new users and that once people get used to the BlackBerry they find it a way of life.

“Every time I get on an airplane, everybody takes their BlackBerry out before the flight takes off and are typing away.” said Mootee. “And I think that’s very funny. It’s almost like a club. Okay, you’re a member, a Crackberry member.”

And nobody could be more of a member than someone like Alan Panezic, RIM’s senior manager of technical services, who gets about 300 messages a day.

However, Panezic said BlackBerry users should learn to filter the messages that they have to deal with while they’re out of the office so that the experience doesn’t become overwhelming.

New users, he said, tend to become entranced with the technology and initially let everything flow through, but they soon learn this isn’t a smart way to work.

“What we’ve done with the software is that we’ve actually provided the user with a utility to filer,” said Panezic.

“They can say ‘You know what, I don’t want any e-mails on this subject coming to my device anymore, because there are other managers and vice-presidents in my group for whom that is important. And if there are any issues they will let me know.’ “

As well, everything flowing to the BlackBerry doesn’t have to notify the user that it’s there, Panezic said.

“So, there’s an ability to set the profile on the device, based on what the subject is, to say don’t notify me. I’ve done this because I get 300 e-mails a day. It would be quite possible for me to start feeling like a nervous wreck if my device was buzzing 300 times a day.”

Panezic has set his BlackBerry to let him know right away if he gets a message from a manager or from other executives.

“These are people with whom I typically have an implied response time. Everything else that I get wirelessly on my device I’ll handle when I get free time. So I’m fully in charge of deploying my time instead of feeling I’m a slave to the device”

And that use of free time — whether it’s in a meeting there was no reason for him to attend but he can’t leave without being insulting, or when he is just walking from one place to another — that Panezic likes the most.

“If you ever listen to one of those success gurus, they like to say the difference between the top 10 per cent and the bottom 10 per cent is not a 200-per-cent aptitude difference. In a lot of cases the difference is in the application of that aptitude. [Successful people] are more productive and stay more focused and don’t get distracted as much.

“And the same thing applies from a wireless applications perspective. You’ve got to respond to what’s important.”

For top executives, Panezic said, the BlackBerry means they can be on top of things 24 hours a day.

“For most senior executives there’s sort of an unwritten rule that they’re always on demand. They might keep their BlackBerry on the nightstand and when it buzzes at three o’clock in the morning they’ll open their eyes, take a look and then go back to sleep.

“And that makes them feel connected and very in tune with their universe,” said Panezic, who admits that it’s not something he does. “It becomes a question of is the e-mail managing me or am I managing it?”

One thing that Panezic said having his BlackBerry has done for him is helping to keep him in touch with his family while he’s travelling.

“I do a fair bit of travelling internationally for RIM. On the one hand, I’m lucky to get the opportunity, but on the other it can be hard to stay in touch with home.”

Now, he said, he can grab a minute in a taxi or sitting in a plane waiting to take off when he can answer an e-mail from his family or send a note.

“And that dramatically improves quality of life, because my family never feels like I’m completely out of touch,” he said. “When I used to travel in the past they might not hear from me for a couple of days.”

While Panezic said he doesn’t take his BlackBerry on vacation he realizes that there are a lot of people who do, people who would rather not have to get everything done before they go away and then face a jam-packed e-mail inbox when they return.

Both getting ready for the trip and worrying about what they’ll find when they get back to the office can make people so anxious they’d rather just take the BlackBerry with them and handle important e-mail right away.

Panezic said the most exciting thing for people at RIM is where the BlackBerry is headed — especially being able to take information from inside the company and pass it on to employees so they can use it to keep track of sales on a day-by-day basis.

“One thing we hear a lot from sales reps is that it’s really difficult for them if a customer has had any technical issues with a product,” said Panezic.

“Now they can download the information on technical problems the customer might have had and do that in the parking lot before the meeting.”

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Pricey land purchases may hurt some condo projects

Friday, January 20th, 2006

Bruce Constantineau
Sun

Some B.C. condominium projects will fail in the future because inexperienced developers are paying too much money now for land in “silly purchases” that can’t be justified, Concert Properties president David Podmore said Thursday.

“I do predict we’re going to see some failures, where [developers] are entering the market and they don’t know their cost structure,” he told the Urban Development Institute’s annual industry forecast luncheon in Vancouver. “In some cases, they’re selling product and they really don’t know what that product will ultimately cost them. That’s not necessarily good for the industry.

“It’s not a reflection of a weak market. It’s a reflection of a strong market that attracts a lot of individuals and companies that are not very experienced.”

Podmore said some developers are paying “grossly inflated” prices for raw land and they’re depending on continued aggressive increases in land and condominium prices to keep their projects profitable.

“For those of us old enough to remember Alberta in the 1970s, that’s what got people in trouble,” he said. “They had too much land, too much debt against the land and inflation didn’t continue. Despite the strong economy in B.C., you can’t count on [strong price increases] going forward.”

Podmore said there are signs that high-density, multi-family condo prices have reached a ceiling or at least are approaching a ceiling, with future price increases likely to slow down significantly. He said the market has reached a point where a large portion of the community cannot afford the multi-family housing that’s being created.

Podmore said much of the recent price run-up took place because of “equity withdrawal,” where people took the equity from their home sales and reinvested it in the real estate market.

“I think the big impact of that is largely passed for the local purchaser,” Podmore said. “A lot of that equity has already been withdrawn and placed in terms of new purchases.”

He noted that despite moderating condominium price increases in the future, some projects will still command strong prices — particularly those situated near rapid transit lines.

Colliers International executive vice-president Avtar Bains told the luncheon that a year ago, no one could have forecast such a strong B.C. commercial real estate market in 2005.

“Who would have dreamt where we ended up,” he said. “Now people wonder if this is really the new world or should they sell.”

Bains said power brokers in Toronto now realize that much of the country’s future economic prosperity lies in Western Canada, so they are far more willing to finance real estate projects in B.C. than ever before.

“Now the market across Canada is driven by Canadians and that hasn’t always been the case,” he said. “In the past, a lot of the market depended on money borrowed from outside the country.”

Bains said many people still believe that at least 50 per cent of the top 65 buildings in downtown Vancouver are owned by foreigners, but non-Canadians actually own just 13.5 per cent of the best properties in the downtown core.

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Google snubs White House demand to see search requests

Friday, January 20th, 2006

U.S. government goes to court to force company to hand over records

Michael Liedtke
Sun

SAN FRANCISCO — Google Inc. is rebuffing the Bush administration’s demand for a peek at what millions of people have been looking up on the Internet’s leading search engine — a request that underscores the potential for online databases to become tools of the government.

Google has refused to comply with a White House subpoena first issued last summer, prompting U.S. Attorney-General Alberto Gonzales this week to ask a federal judge in San Jose for an order to force a handover of the records.

The government wants a list of all requests entered into Google’s search engine during an unspecified single week — a breakdown that could conceivably span tens of millions of queries. In addition, it seeks one million randomly selected Web addresses from various Google databases.

In court papers that the San Jose Mercury News reported on after seeing them Wednesday, the Bush administration depicts the information as vital in its effort to restore online child protection laws that have been struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Google competitor Yahoo Inc., which runs the Internet’s second-most-used search engine, confirmed Thursday that it had complied with a similar government subpoena.

Although the government says it isn’t seeking any data that ties personal information to search requests, the subpoena still raises serious privacy concerns, experts said, especially considering recent revelations that the White House authorized eavesdropping on domestic civilian communications after the Sept. 11 attacks without court approval.

“Search engines now play such an important part in our daily lives that many people probably contact Google more often than they do their own mother,” said Thomas Burke, a San Francisco lawyer who has handled several prominent cases with privacy issues.

“Just as most people would be upset if the government wanted to know how much you called your mother and what you talked about, they should be upset about this, too.”

Microsoft Corp. MSN, the No. 3 search engine, declined to say whether it even received a similar subpoena.

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Restaurant listings January 19, 2006

Thursday, January 19th, 2006

Sun

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