Freshly pressed orange juice is just the first sip of something different. Orange, Apple & Carrot is also on hand, along with a Daily “Fresh Press” Special.

“We have been wanting to serve breakfast for some time now and the juicing was a real inspiration,” said Suzanne Fielden, co-owner of Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. “There is a separate Kids Breakfast Menu, but I really think it’s we grown ups that are going to want to come explore – or maybe just grab a Veggie Breakfast Sandwich to go.”

Rocky Mountain keeps to its roots with the new menu while putting a fresh spin on their oven-roasted, artisan flatbread. From the wild boar bacon, potatoes, red onion and provolone of the Yukon to the Steak and Egg to the Veggie and Market Breakfast, the new breakfast flatbreads are topped by an organic free range egg and brim with bursts of fresh thinking.

“Thin, crisp, wholesome. Our flatbread works very well for breakfast. We could not have done a breakfast menu without them,” said Executive Chef Oliver Zulauf. “Will they compete with the omelets? Variety is good.”

Each of the six omelets is made with two organic and free range eggs from Abbotsford and served with organic home fries and mixed greens. As with all good things, the omelets shine on the inside with options ranging from the organically meat-centric Italian Sausage, Wild Boar Bacon and Bradner Chicken & The Egg to the more vegetable-inspired Farmers Market, Florentine and OceanWise.

Even the Traditional Breakfast gets a twist, with organic and free range eggs, potato and artisan bread paired with your choice of wild boar bacon, all-natural sausage and back bacon if and as desired.

While covering the bases with the requisite yogurt, granola, seasonal fresh fruit and house made muffins and breads, Rocky Mountain has also added a pair of breakfast sandwiches to its early hour offerings.

In addition to the afore mentioned Veggie, the BBTEA is certain to find favour as the fast food of champions: back bacon, cured tomato, a free range egg and arugula with honey dijon and spicy mayonnaise all warmly tucked into a house made bun.

For full menu details and pricing visit:  www.rockymountainflatbread.ca.

(photo courtesy of VanFoodster – Richard Wolak www.vancouverfoodster.com)

“There are certain dishes that are typical to each region of France – especially in summer when all the ingredients are at their peak. I want to take people on a culinary meander through some of my favourite regions,” says proprietor (and French Chevalier) John Blakeley. Each of the four regional menus will be offered for three weeks starting with Brittany and Normandy (June 22 – July 13).

Located on France’s northwest coast, this area’s specialties include shellfish, apples, apple cider, thick cream and of course crêpes. On this menu, look for Bistro Pastis’ famed Sole Normande (with shrimp, clams, mussels in white wine sauce) or Poulet au Cidre (sautéed chicken, roasted apple, cider and cream sauce). Enjoy decadent desserts such as Beignet de Pomme Normande (with Calvados ice cream) or Crêpes au Citron (filled with lemon mousse napped with blueberry compote).

On July 14, Bistro Pastis takes a break from the tour to host its annual Bastille Day celebration with its own special menu (more about that in another release).

The tour resumes on July 15th through August 5th when Bistro Pastis features the cuisine of the southwest – the Basque country (at the foot of the Pyrenees) and neighbouring Languedoc. Here, there is a Spanish influence in dishes such as Soupe à l’Ail (roasted garlic and potato soup), Paella or Poulet Basquaise (chicken breast cooked ‘en cocotte’ with tomatoes, peppers and proscuitto). Tuna is also typical of the region and it is beautifully presented in Le Thon aux Oignons en Papillote (Albacore tuna and onions baked in a parchment packet). Finish the meal with Crème Catalane, an orange and lemon crème brûlée that is the French version of the Spanish flan.

From the Languedoc it is only a short hop east to Provence in France’s south and facing the Mediterranean (August 6 – 26). Provençale cuisine epitomizes summer dining. With the Mediterranean at its doorstep and Italy just a stone’s throw away, this cuisine embraces the fruits of the sea as well as incorporating a wide-range of vegetables such as artichokes, zucchini, beans and mushrooms.

For starters, there is a choice of Sardine en Escabêche (sautéed sardine with spiced, red pepper coulis) or Soupe au Pistou (white navy beans, assorted vegetables and basil soup) or Tartare de Legumes de Manosque (artichokes, fennel bulb, zucchini, asparagus and tomato tartar with Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette). Mains include: Filet de Rouget et Calamare à la Méditerranéenne (stuffed quid and red snapper, ratatouille and shell fish reduction), classic Daube de Boeuf and Blanc de Volaille à la Goudalière (chicken breast with pine nuts, porcini mushrooms and red wine jus). One of the desserts on offer is the traditional Provençale specialty Clafoutis aux Cerises served with refreshing Orange Zest Ice Cream.

The tour finishes in Gascony and the Auvergne (August 27 – September 19). The Massif Central, the rugged terrain of central France, informs the flavours of this region. Here are fast flowing streams fed by the Alps and sparse hills where sheep graze. The flavours are big, bold and rustic. Mains include Truite Comme en Sare (sautéed trout, leek and bacon ragoût and warm red wine vinaigrette), Roulade d’Agneau à la Gasconnaise (lamb sirloin stuffed with anchovy, garlic and thyme served with Gratin Dauphinois, lamb jus) and Ragoût de Confit de Canard (duck leg confit, green olive and eggplant ragoût with thyme and tomato jus). Les Fraises aux Vins Rouges (fresh strawberries marinated in peppercorns and red wine served with lemon and thyme sorbet) is just one of the wonderful ways to end the evening.

Known for its extensive wine cellar, Bistro Pastis will also offer special wine pairings to complement each menu.

From June 22 to September 19, join John Blakeley as he leads you on a culinary ramble through France in the summer. At only $35 per person, it’s a très bon marché and more economical than a plane ticket.

Reservations are always a good idea and can be made by calling 604-731-5020 or on-line at www.bistropastis.com Full menus for each region will also be available on-line.

Menu Bretagne / Normandy

Artichaut Vinaigrette – Artichoke Vinagrette

Crème Dubarry – Cauliflower Soup and Bacon or

Moules au Cidre du Pays d’Auge – Mussels in Cider du Pays d’Auge

 ***********

La Cotriade d’Armor Mussels, Clams and Lingcod Stew, Tomato Apple and Brandy Broth or

Sole Normande Sole Normande, Riz Pilaf, Shrimp, Clams, Mussels,

Mushroom Fricassée, White Wine Sauce or

Poulet au Cidre Sauteed Chicken, Roasted Apple Cider and Cream Sauce

Beignets de Pomme Normande – Apple Dumpling, Calvados Ice Cream or

Crêpes au Citron – Crêpes Filled with Lemon Mousse, Blueberry Compote

Bistro Pastis
2153 W 4^th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6K 1N7 | Tel: (604) 731.5020 | Fax: (604) 731.5039
www.bistropastis.com

“There are certain dishes that are typical to each region of France – especially in summer when all the ingredients are at their peak. I want to take people on a culinary meander through some of my favourite regions,” says proprietor (and French Chevalier) John Blakeley. Each of the four regional menus will be offered for three weeks starting with Brittany and Normandy (June 22 – July 13).

Located on France’s northwest coast, this area’s specialties include shellfish, apples, apple cider, thick cream and of course crêpes. On this menu, look for Bistro Pastis’ famed Sole Normande (with shrimp, clams, mussels in white wine sauce) or Poulet au Cidre (sautéed chicken, roasted apple, cider and cream sauce). Enjoy decadent desserts such as Beignet de Pomme Normande (with Calvados ice cream) or Crêpes au Citron (filled with lemon mousse napped with blueberry compote).

On July 14, Bistro Pastis takes a break from the tour to host its annual Bastille Day celebration with its own special menu (more about that in another release).

The tour resumes on July 15^th through August 5^th when Bistro Pastis features the cuisine of the southwest – the Basque country (at the foot of the Pyrenees) and neighbouring Languedoc. Here, there is a Spanish influence in dishes such as Soupe à l’Ail (roasted garlic and potato soup), Paella or Poulet Basquaise (chicken breast cooked ‘en cocotte’ with tomatoes, peppers and proscuitto). Tuna is also typical of the region and it is beautifully presented in Le Thon aux Oignons en Papillote (Albacore tuna and onions baked in a parchment packet). Finish the meal with Crème Catalane, an orange and lemon crème brûlée that is the French version of the Spanish flan.

From the Languedoc it is only a short hop east to Provence in France’s south and facing the Mediterranean (August 6 – 26). Provençale cuisine epitomizes summer dining. With the Mediterranean at its doorstep and Italy just a stone’s throw away, this cuisine embraces the fruits of the sea as well as incorporating a wide-range of vegetables such as artichokes, zucchini, beans and mushrooms.

For starters, there is a choice of Sardine en Escabêche (sautéed sardine with spiced, red pepper coulis) or Soupe au Pistou (white navy beans, assorted vegetables and basil soup) or Tartare de Legumes de Manosque (artichokes, fennel bulb, zucchini, asparagus and tomato tartar with Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette). Mains include: Filet de Rouget et Calamare à la Méditerranéenne (stuffed quid and red snapper, ratatouille and shell fish reduction), classic Daube de Boeuf and Blanc de Volaille à la Goudalière (chicken breast with pine nuts, porcini mushrooms and red wine jus). One of the desserts on offer is the traditional Provençale specialty Clafoutis aux Cerises served with refreshing Orange Zest Ice Cream.

The tour finishes in Gascony and the Auvergne (August 27 – September 19). The Massif Central, the rugged terrain of central France, informs the flavours of this region. Here are fast flowing streams fed by the Alps and sparse hills where sheep graze. The flavours are big, bold and rustic. Mains include Truite Comme en Sare (sautéed trout, leek and bacon ragoût and warm red wine vinaigrette), Roulade d’Agneau à la Gasconnaise (lamb sirloin stuffed with anchovy, garlic and thyme served with Gratin Dauphinois, lamb jus) and Ragoût de Confit de Canard (duck leg confit, green olive and eggplant ragoût with thyme and tomato jus). Les Fraises aux Vins Rouges (fresh strawberries marinated in peppercorns and red wine served with lemon and thyme sorbet) is just one of the wonderful ways to end the evening.

Known for its extensive wine cellar, Bistro Pastis will also offer special wine pairings to complement each menu.

From June 22 to September 19, join John Blakeley as he leads you on a culinary ramble through France in the summer. At only $35 per person, it’s a très bon marché and more economical than a plane ticket.

Reservations are always a good idea and can be made by calling 604-731-5020 or on-line at www.bistropastis.com Full menus for each region will also be available on-line.

 The Smoking Dog Bistro proprietors’ Jean Séguin and Judith Andrews are delighted to be welcoming back Chef Pascal Georges to the stoves at Kitsilano’s favourite neighbourhood bistro, marking a return to the classic, casual French bistro food the restaurant is renowned for.

Chef Georges, now in his early 40′s, was the Executive Chef for Jean-Claude Ramond when the restaurant opened over 15 years ago. He remained with Jean-Claude for 5 years and returned for another 2 years, taking The Smoking Dog through the transition when it was sold to Jean and Jude. Pascal and his family recently returned to Vancouver from France and Asia, where he worked at some of those region’s top hotels and restaurants.

The Menu

     French Bistro food is classic – A simple formula of impeccable ingredients and simple yet meticulous preparation. Even classics however have to move with the times, Canadian beef’s superior flavour deserves lighter sauces and guests now expect to taste the fish, not the butter sauce. The Smoking Dog, like any true bistro, offers good value and has kept prices at a level where neighbourhood guests can drop in a few times a week, not only once or twice a year.

Returning classics on The Smoking Dog menu include the signature Mimosa Salad, butter lettuce, garnished with tomatoes, diced egg and parsley, dressed with a Dijon sauce; Salade Niçoise, large enough for a light main course, uses a true recipe from Nice with local albacore tuna, roasted bell peppers, olives, quail eggs, green beans, anchovies, baby vine tomatoes, mini eggplant and squash. The menu offers three classic soups – a French Onion soup is gratinéed with Gruyere’s milder cousin Swiss, on a browned crouton, Lobster Bisque is rich with lobster stock and the Tomato and Gin soup is made from fresh tomatoes, still with the classic dollop of crème fraîche, but with a vegetable stock to keep it lighter. Grilled quail returns, now served with a generous topping of lightly tempura vegetables and new to the menu is a Potato Tarte with Smoked Salmon and Tuna Tartar.  
The Smoking Dog’s Pepper Steak, an 8 oz well-aged tenderloin served with French green beans and pommes puree, remains on the menu. Fresh halibut, roast duck, prawns, two pastas and a risotto round out the well priced $14 to $29 entrée menu.

In homage to true bistro food, and a nod to the original Jean-Claude menu, a small $15 menu offers Steak Frites, Roast Chicken Frites or Grilled Salmon Frites throughout the day and evening. Served as a simple meal with just pommes frites and sauce, sides of French green beans, market vegetables and salads can be added for an additional charge.

The lunch menu offers the same selection of appetizers and desserts, with lunch time favourites and smaller entrée’s. A quiche changes daily and the much loved Smoking Dog Bistro Burger, using hand chopped top sirloin, remains.

Desserts, all made in house, also include the classics with Crème Brûlée and Crème Caramel, Chocolate Fondant and Profiteroles. An Apple Tart Tatin, rustic and somewhat chunkier than its fine dining cousin, is served with vanilla gelato.

The wine list is value priced, matching the style set by the restaurant, offering many French selections as well as local & international wines.

The Address

Kitsilano is the entrance to Vancouver’s West Side. Located just one block off Burrard at 1889 West 1^st Avenue, The Smoking Dog resides in a residential neighbourhood. It’s pretty and quiet, the beach a block away and it’s on a bike path. It has a 70 seat dining room, a dozen high top bar seats and a large patio, heated in winter, which offers up an extraordinary corner view of people-watching opportunities, especially on sunny afternoons and evenings. Locals walk but it’s well worth the drive across one of the bridges.  

On May 21^st, Kits Beach will have a walk-up burger stand where the food is as good as the view. Nimby Burger, located at the corner of Cornwall & Yew, is a fresh take on the beachside burger window, and will offer quality burgers, hand-cut French fries, and real ice cream milkshakes.

“Nimby Burger was inspired by countless road trips down the coast to California with my father, Bus Fuller,” says Jeff Fuller, President of the Joey Restaurant Group. “There is nothing quite like the taste of the burgers from those beachside joints in California. There’s just something about the surf and the sun, with a juicy burger and a shake.”

Though Nimby Burger at Kits Beach will be a casual, walk-up window, the focus is still on fresh, quality ingredients. The burgers and cheeseburgers are made from 100 per cent premium chuck beef and topped with crisp lettuce and red ripe tomatoes. Nimby’s French fries are made from hand-cut Yukon Gold potatoes, which are fried to order and sea-salted. A chocolate, strawberry or vanilla ice cream milkshake tops off the perfect seaside meal.

“My father and I have always talked about opening a classic burger shack in our own backyard,” says Fuller. “But we decided it would be even better to open it in Vancouver’s backyard…Kits Beach.”

Nimby Burger’s uncomplicated menu includes just five well-made items. Prices range from $2.99 for a basic burger, to $5.49 for a Dooblay (double burger with cheese). Milkshakes are $2.99, and French fries are $2.49.

During the summer, Nimby Burger will be open from 11am daily.

About Nimby Burger

Nimby Burger is a classic walk-up burger shack near Vancouver’s Kits Beach. Its burgers, hand-cut fries, and real ice cream milkshakes are made with fresh, quality ingredients. The restaurant is owned and managed by the Joey Restaurant Group. Nimby Burger is located at the corner of Cornwall & Yew and will be open daily throughout the summer

Cauliflower Puree
~truffle oil, chives~
Or
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
~chickpea puree, carrot slaw~
Or
Mixed Greens Salad
~dijon vinaigrette, sliced veg~
Or
Qualicum Scallops (add $3)
~english peas, tarragon cream~

* * *

Duck Confit
~citrus briased white beans, carrots, leeks~
Or
Squash Risotto
~truffle oil, grana padano, chives~
Or
Pan Roasted Pork Loin
~green lentils, mustard cream, braised cabbage~
Or
Rare Grilled Albacore Tuna (add $3)
~nugget potatoes, fennel, tomato, cilantro vinaigrette~

* * *

Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee Or Triple Chocolate Mousse Or Passion Fruit Flan

3 courses $28
excludes tax & gratuity
________________________________________

Trafalgars Bistro is located at:

2603 West 16th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6K 3C2
Phone: 604.739.0555
Fax: 604.739.0557

On the Bistrot Bistro front not much. We are not raising our price (the prix fixe is staying), we are not sold out, we are not putting auto gratuity for every table (due to higher percentage of tourists), and not changing to a limited menu.

You will find us the way we have been for three years and hopefully for another few years – the local bistro you have come to know: reliable, reasonable and friendly.

We will not retire or sell to a multinational conglomerate either when it’s all done! Not to worry, we will be there for you. 

Karma Tuesday new Charity for February and March.

We are happy to be supporting The Little Green Lunch at the Sunset day Care helping transform an area into a productive and educational Kitchen Garden.

Valentine’s weekend Saturday 13rd and Sunday 14^th of February.

This is going to be a fun one with the combination of a few new people in town for a local event, also being a week-end. Some of you have read the newsletter from last month, viewed the menu under “latest news” on our web-site and booked.

For the rest of you who must make a decision or influence it, here are the details. We know where we will be. Do you? …..

Seared albacore tuna salad
Or
Warm goat cheese, fig and smoked duck breast tart

Filet mignon, lavender butter
Or
Duck Magret with hazelnut and amaretto sauce
Or
Shrimp Scallop Provencal

All dishes will be accompanied by our famous mashed potatoes

Chocolate and passion fruit cake from Plaisir Sucre, served with a glass of bubbly

$ 55 per person
15 % gratuity will be added to bill
(Credit card required. “No show” – $25 fee per person)

THE PERFECT ANTIDOTE FOR MID WINTER BLUES

Enter John Blakeley and Bistro Pastis with a special Recession Remedy Menu aimed to tread lightly on your pocket book while paying big satisfaction dividends. The French know a thing or two about how to dine well on a little. They are experts at the art of stretching resources (be they Euros or ingredients) to maximize the pleasure quotient.  This is the very principal at work in Bistro Pastis’ Recession Remedy Menu. Value priced at $24 for any two courses or $29 for all three, the menu gives patrons the greatest amount of flexibility, allowing you to custom design the size and content of your dinner. Don’t like dessert? Then opt for a starter and a main. Mains look too large? Then go for a starter and dessert.

The Menu features some of Bistro Pastis’ favourite bistro classics – Leek and Potato Soup, Coq au Vin, Steak Frites, Cod Normande, Crêpes Suzette to name a few. You can’t go wrong with choices such as these.

Pair them with John’s value-priced wines specials ($6.50 by the glass, $22 for a half litre and $32.50 for the whole bottle) selected from his cellar add Bistro Pastis’ crackling fireplace and … voila, your gloomy mood disappears as if by magic.

This month, give yourself a treat and book a table at Bistro Pastis. Cosy fireplace, impeccable service, value-priced wines and recession-proof menu. What more could you ask for?

The Recession Remedy Menu runs from January 14 through February 10, 2010.

Recession Remedy Menu

January 14 – February 10, 2010

Dinner: Any two courses $24; All three courses $29

Wine Specials: Glass: $6.50  ½ L: $22  Bottle: $32.50
First Course

Leek and Potato Soup
Bacon Froth
Chardonnay Un-Oaked Calona Vineyards
- or -
Mushroom and Fennel Salad
Pinot Gris Calona Vineyards
- or -
Calamari à la Provençale
Pinot Blanc Red Rooster

**************

Second Course

Grilled Flank Steak
Pommes Frites, Peppercorn Sauce
Cabernet Merlot Red Rooster
- or -
Coq au Vin
Mushrooms and Bacon, Fettuccini
Merlot Peller Family Series
- or -
Cod Normande
Shrimps, Mussels and Clams, Riz Pilaf, White Wine Sauce
Chardonnay Peller Family Series

**************

Third Course

Mousse au Chocolat
- or -
Crêpes Suzette
- or -
Tarte aux Pommes
Vanilla Ice Cream

Bistro Pastis
2153 W 4^th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6K 1N7 | Tel: (604) 731.5020 | Fax: (604) 731.5039
www.bistropastis.com

A juicy hand-ground dry aged Alberta beef patty with the Cure’s bacon, cheddar cheese & house-made mayonnaise served on a buttered, toasted Scottish bap bun. The triple cooked Kennebec french fries are served on the side, to be washed down with a draught beer from the award winning R + B Brewery.

Refuel Restaurant & Bar
Refuel Restaurant & Bar serves affordable, casual Northwest cuisine in a comfortable neighbourhood atmosphere. This welcome addition to Kitsilano encourages diners to relax, have fun and enjoy simple, honest food. Gather around a table with friends in the dining room or sit at the bar and watch the kitchen brigade while sipping a classic cocktail and enjoy music styled by the experts at Zulu Records.

Refuel is open daily from 11:30am – 12am and is located at 1944 West 4th Avenue (at Cypress), Vancouver BC. Fore more information please call 604.288.7905, or visit:

www.refuelrestaurant.com

Set aside the ‘shoulds of the season’ and for one evening, New Year’s Eve, treat yourself to the luxury of choice. Let John Bishop, Chef Andrea Carlson and Maitre d’ Abel Jacinto spoil you with so many choices you’ll feel like a kid in a candy store. Chef Carlson has designed a tour de force menu with which to herald the New Year – three courses and 10 dishes from which to choose. For starters how does one pick between Crab Leg Salad, Berkshire Pork Terrine, Pheasant Orecchiette or Pacific Octopus Terrine? That’s when the bargaining begins: “If you have the pork, I’ll order the Crab and we can share?”

Mains present you with Fraser Canyon Rabbit, Sidney Island Venison Chop, Fraser Valley Duck or Bishop’s signature Qualicum Bay Scallops. The accompaniments don’t make the choosing any easier – for instance the Rabbit comes with shaved black truffle, pomme purée, Savoy cabbage, porcini and rabbit liver profiterole in rabbit jus. The accompaniment is temptation in and of itself! The scallops are equally decadent sharing the plate with pine mushroom and quail confit crepe, sunroot purée, arugula and horseradish butter. Or, what about the red kuri squash tart and quince gelee that sidles up to the duck? You get the idea – wonderful, glorious flavours and fresh, local ingredients that sway you this way and that. Oh my… what to choose? How to choose?

Then comes dessert, by now you are grateful that there are only two. Do you luxuriate with a Maralumi Chocolate Bar with vanilla mousse, sour cherries and champagne sorbet or over-dose on palate refreshing Lemon Trio with lemon meringue cupcake, macaroon and tart with pomegranate seeds? Chocolate or lemon? Lemon or chocolate? Should all your decisions in 2010 be so straightforward.

A glass of champagne is included in the very reasonable price of $120 per person. If one glass of bubbly is not enough, Maitre D’ Abel Jacinto will be happy to recommend a suitable bottle from Bishop’s cellar.

Bishop’s offers four seatings on New Year’s Eve. For people wanting to dine and then head off to a party or event, reservations are available for 6 and 6:30 p.m.. For those wishing to dine late, there are seatings at 9 and 9:30p.m.

No matter what awaits you in 2010, you can rely on proprietor John Bishop, Maitre D’ Abel Jacinto and Executive Chef Andrea Carlson to pamper you with warm service, fine food and spoil you with choice on this, and every, evening.

Reservations are a must and can be made on-line or by calling the restaurant at 604.738.2025.

Bishop’s 2183 West 4^th Avenue, Vancouver

604.738.2025 www.bishopsonline.com