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Archive for May, 2006

Drink outside and skip the food?

Friday, May 5th, 2006

It might be possible — council reviews pub rules on drinks-only patios

John Bermingham
Province

From left: Christina Rowe, Pilar Ruiz and Krystle McKinnon enjoy a drink outside at Malone’s in Vancouver yesterday. Photograph by : Nick Procaylo, The Province

You may soon be allowed to have a drink on an outdoor patio in Vancouver without ordering eats.

The city is considering relaxing its rules to allow neighbourhood pubs and hotel pub-lounges to have booze-only patios.

There are now 466 patios and the new rules could mean 200 more.

Since 1997, patios have been restricted to outlets serving food.

“Pubs are not allowed to have them, only restaurants,” said Vision Vancouver Coun. Heather Deal, who proposed the changes yesterday. “Relax that, and allow people to sit outside and have that glass of wine.”

Recently, the Waldorf Hotel on East Hastings built a patio, but got into trouble with the city.

“They applied for a patio under a pub licence, which isn’t allowed,” said Deal. “If they applied under the restaurant licence, it may well have been allowed.”

The Dominion Hotel has plans for a patio outside its pub on Abbott.

Deal said there’s room for many outdoor pub-patios in the city –along Main, Commercial, Fourth Avenue, Granville and Denman.

Deal, who lives in Kitsilano, said there are few places where she can hoist a glass and catch some rays.

“Walking up and down the street, it’s extremely difficult to find a place to sit outside and have a beer,” she said.

Deal’s move to immediately relax enforcement on patios was rejected by the council led by the Non-Partisan Association.

“I am uncomfortable with the idea of rewarding operators who have violated the bylaw,” said Mayor Sam Sullivan.

Deal said bar patios will have to pass the neighbourhood test, closing at a reasonable hour and limiting the noise.

“In many neighbourhoods, people will say ‘I don’t want this,'” said Deal. “And in some neighbourhoods, people will say ‘Absolutely, we’d like to sit outside in our own neighbourhood.”

Barwatch, representing the city’s major bars, supports the idea.

“I’ve always said they should keep the bloody things open, but they closed the patios on Granville Street,” said Barwatch spokesman John Teti.

“I’ve always been a believer in patios. Especially given that we’ve only got four or five months of sunshine here. We should capitalize on every bit of it.”

Pilar Ruiz, 27, was sipping strawberry daiquiris on the patio of Malone’s Bar & Grill in Kitsilano yesterday with her friends Christina Rowe and Krystle McKinnon.

“Patios bring tourists,” said Ruiz, a daycare teacher from Burnaby. “Tourists like to see what kind of people live here. It’s like advertising in a store window.”

McKinnon, a 22-year-old student, said it didn’t make sense for patio drinkers to have to order food. “I’m not hungry. I just ate before I came here. I’m here to sit in the sun and be with my friends. That what makes patios so good.”

“Plus,” Ruiz added, “you get drunk faster on a patio.”

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Microsoft goes after search ads hard

Friday, May 5th, 2006

Byron Acohido
USA Today

SEATTLE — Look out Google and Yahoo, Microsoft is getting very serious about search.

The software giant rented Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners, Thursday night to fete 700 online advertisers. The party capped two days of hard-sell pitches, including celebrity testimonials from hip-hop impresario Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and British advertising mogul Martin Sorrell.

The pitch: Buy more MSN Search ads. Yet Microsoft’s search engine drives just 13.2% of online searches, trailing Yahoo’s 28% and Google’s 43%, according to ComScore Media Metrix. What MSN Search lacks in eyeballs, it intends to make up in cool tech tools — and an ambitious strategy to extend search and search ads into free e-mail, instant messaging and online video games.

“It’s a pretty holistic strategy,” says Kevin Lee, chairman of search marketing firm Did-it. “They understand all those locations can stimulate new search activity.”

The company officially launched AdCenter, a system that lets advertisers bid to have their ads displayed alongside search results. AdCenter is modeled after Google’s highly successful AdSense and a similar system used by Yahoo.

Microsoft knows it has to do more than merely match its rivals. So it has dispatched hundreds of researchers to redefine search and online advertising. One project seeks to give PC users the ability to click on an image of a celebrity’s dress and get whisked to a website that sells the dress.

Other projects are investigating ways to deliver extensive demographic profiles to online advertisers.

“Search is truly in its infancy, and we have so many plans to innovate for consumers and advertisers,” says Karen Redetzki, an MSN product manager.

Microsoft is loath to let Google and Yahoo dominate an online advertising market that Forrester Research projects will grow from $11.9 billion this year to $18.9 billion by 2010.

As that market gels, and as online advertising prices rise, “Then some of the neat things that Microsoft is in a unique position to offer may make a difference,” says Danny Sullivan, editor-in-chief of Search Engine Watch.

Still, scores of past Microsoft initiatives to diversify have fizzled. And getting consumers and advertisers to break their Google and Yahoo habits won’t be easy.

“Why switch if what you’re currently using isn’t broken?” says tech reviewer Chris Pirillo of Lockergnome. “I’m not going to switch to another advertising network unless I know my returns will be greater than what they currently are.”

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AOL’s ‘AIM Phoneline’ offers free local phone number

Friday, May 5th, 2006

Kevin Maney
USA Today

DULLES, Va. — AOL is close to unveiling a voice-over-Internet service, based on its AIM instant messenger, that would give any AIM user a local phone number for free.

Dubbed AIM Phoneline, the free number would only allow for incoming calls from any phone.

Still, it’s the first offer of a free number. To get a number that can be called on Skype costs about $4 a month.

An upgraded version, AIM Phoneline Unlimited, will cost $14.95 a month for calls to all local and long-distance numbers and 30 foreign countries. Calls must be made with a headset plugged into a computer and logged onto AIM through a broadband connection. AOL plans to launch the service in the top 50 U.S markets in late May.

“We think this is a pretty disruptive offering,” says John McKinley, AOL’s president, digital services. AOL believes it can get a younger generation of AIM’s 80 million users to consider only having a cellphone and an AIM phone, instead of paying for a traditional phone.

But success is far from assured. AIM use declined 13% to 47.6 million users from March 2005 to March 2006, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. And AIM Phoneline joins a number of voice-over-Internet (VoIP) offerings trying to win customers, including Skype and cable companies. Comcast’s phone offering costs $40 a month, and CEO Brian Roberts says Comcast has signed up 1.5 million customers.

Talk features on instant messagers have been around on AIM, Yahoo, MSN and Google Talk. But McKinley says AIM’s is more robust, with a phone number, 911 service and other features:

• It will be integrated with AIM and AOL e-mail. A dial-pad will drop down at the bottom of the AIM Buddy List. Voice mail, also free, will show up as an e-mail with a link to click to hear the message.

• AIM callers will get a reputation score. Users can click to tell the system if a caller is, say, an annoying telemarketer. That telemarketer will get a bad rep, which will show up whenever that caller dials. You can then choose to ignore the call.

Analyst Charlene Li at market tracker Forrester Research thinks the young AIM crowd will be very receptive. “Who wouldn’t want a free phone number?” she says.

The service is part of a big bet AOL is making on AIM. Also this month, it will roll out AIM Pages — a direct broadside on MySpace. If someone on your AIM Buddy List has an AIM Page you’ll get an alert whenever that person adds something to it. One click takes you to it.

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Home contracts dive 29% at Toll Brothers

Friday, May 5th, 2006

Toll Brothers, a leading builder of luxury homes, said Friday that its signed contracts fell 29% in its second fiscal quarter, and it cut its forecast for the number of homes it expects to sell in fiscal 2006.

USA Today

For the three months ended April 30, Toll projected preliminary contracts of roughly $1.56 billion, down from $2.2 billion in the year-ago period. Backlog for the quarter rose 3% to roughly $6.07 billion.

Toll Brothers also forecast it would deliver 9,000 to 9,700 homes for the fiscal year ending Oct. 31, down 200 from its previous outlook. It was the third time since November that Toll slashed its forecast for the number of homes it expects to sell in the year.

The company, which operates in 21 states from New York to California, attributed the drop in contracts and deliveries to a greater supply of homes resulting from a drop in speculative buyers, and more cancellations from non-speculative buyers. The cancellation rate over the recent quarter was 8.5%, higher than Toll’s historic average of about 7%.

“I think the Street was looking for weakness, just not this weak,” said John Tomlinson, senior analyst with Majestic Research an independent research firm.

Higher home prices and mortgage rates have taken its toll on U.S. home buying, which began to soften after the summer. Since July, shares of Toll Brothers have lost 47% of their value, as its high-end customers are considered more knowledgeable about the housing market and have more discretion not to trade-up from their existing homes.

New orders, excluding ones from its joint ventures, fell to 2,167 from 3,181, while the value of the contracts declined 29% to $1.56 billion. Orders fell sharply in Toll’s biggest market — the Mid-Atlantic states of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia — where they were off 45%.

“Speculative buyers are no longer fueling demand,” Robert Toll, chairman and chief executive, said. “Instead they’re putting the homes they’ve recently acquired back on the market, or are canceling contracts in mid-construction.”

He said the oversupply is being “aggressively discounted by others.”

Toll said revenue for the quarter ended April 30 rose 18% from a year ago to $1.44 billion. Analysts, on average, expected $1.45 billion, according to Reuters Estimates. Quarterly revenue reflects orders taken about one year ago.

The Toll forecast came after rival Hovnanian Enterprises lowered its second-quarter forecast on May 1 because of an expected 20% decline in contracts

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Value of B. C. building permits falls

Friday, May 5th, 2006

An economist points out that the decline is from a record level

Fiona Anderson
Sun

The value of building permits issued in B.C. fell by 27.4 per cent in January, with drops in almost all construction sectors, according to a report released Monday by Statistics Canada.

Permits for $762 million of activity were issued in the province during January, down from $1.05 billion in December. Residential permits were down 33.1 per cent — from $785.2 million to $525.5 million — while non-residential permits fell 10.7 per cent — from $264.9 million to $236.6 million.

But the decline comes after a record month in B.C.

“So, yes, it’s a decline, but from a record level,” Statistics Canada economist Etienne Saint-Pierre said in an interview.

The only sector to buck the downward trend was single family dwellings, where the value of building permits eked up 0.3 per cent to a new record. But that increase may be due to increased costs of construction and not increased activity, as the actual number of units approved was only 1,355, a number high by historical standards, but not a record, Saint-Pierre said.

“The increase in prices inflates the value of permits, but for sure what is clear is there is a strong demand for single family dwellings in B.C.,” he said.

The strength in demand for single-family dwellings is throughout Western Canada.

“In Western Canada the economy is doing very well, so consumer confidence is good, the mortgage rates are still very advantageous [and] people are moving from the Eastern part of the country to the Western part of the country,” Saint-Pierre said. “So that generates a lot of demand for dwellings.”

The small increase in single family permits was more than offset by a drop of almost 60 per cent in the value of permits for multi-family units.

That doesn’t reflect what’s actually happening in the residential construction industry where more developers are looking to build multi-family units, Peter Simpson, CEO of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association, said in an interview.

Ninety-four per cent of new detached homes in the Lower Mainland are priced at more than $350,000 because of rising costs, Simpson said.

“So what builders are doing is looking at ways to introduce new housing forms like row housing and high density communities with town houses and condominiums,” Simpson said. “They are trying to make housing more affordable by offering other forms of housing.”

He calls the drop in multi-family permits a “timing issue.”

“There’s lots of new [multi-unit] projects on the way,” he said. “I’m seeing a lot of activity out there.”

In the non-residential sector, industrial buildings, such as warehouses, led the drop, with a 63.5 per cent decline from December. Commercial building permits, including office buildings and hotels, dropped 11.1 per cent while permits for institutional building such as schools were up 30.1 per cent.

The increase in institutional building permits was from a very low level in December, Saint-Pierre said. Also, the non-residential is “very, very volatile”, so it is difficult to draw any conclusion based on one month, he said.

In Vancouver, the total value of building permits dropped 17.3 per cent in January compared to December, from $499 million to $412.6 million. The January figures were still a 14.7 per cent improvement over the $359.9 million worth of permits that were issued in January 2005.

Canada-wide the value of building permits was down 19.3 per cent to $5.1 billion from the record high of $6.3 set in December. Residential permits were down 21.4 per cent, while non-residential permits dropped 13.4 per cent.

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Budget among factors heading off resale-housing market downturn

Friday, May 5th, 2006

Province

There won’t be any downturn in Canada’s resale-housing market this year after all, the Canadian Real Estate Association said in revising its projections yesterday. Earlier projections had sales either matching last year or even falling off slightly.

After setting a fifth consecutive annual record last year of 483,250 units, CREA expects national resale-housing activity to inch one per cent higher to 488,160 units in 2006.

But CREA expects 2007 will see the market fall off by 3.3 per cent.

B.C. and Alberta will continue to be the star performers with price increases of around 10 per cent, while CREA projects national MLS residential average prices to increase 6.1 per cent this year and 4.7 per cent next year.

“Further increases in home prices and interest rates may cause resale-housing activity to ease next year, but housing demand will remain very strong and support further price increases,” said CREA’s chief economist Gregory Klump.

“The tax cuts outlined in the 2006 federal budget will ease the overall tax burden for individuals, put money back in the pockets of Canadians and increase consumer confidence about making major purchases.

“The reduction in the GST rate to six per cent and the one-per-cent reduction in the federal portion of the HST will reduce the costs associated with buying, selling and owning a home,” Klump said.

Meanwhile, building permits in March in Greater Vancouver were up 37.4 per cent to $600.4 million compared to $437 million in February, recording the second highest monthly, seasonally-adjusted level on record, according the Vancouver Regional Constructional Association’s analysis of yesterday’s Statistics Canada building permit report.

In June 2004, the highest number on record, builders rushed to beat regulatory changes. The March 2006 numbers reflect strong market demand.

“These numbers demonstrate that there is plenty of strength in the region’s construction sector, creating more job opportunities and economic growth going forward,” says Keith Sashaw, Vancouver Regional Construction Association president. “The fall in non-residential permits affected the regional numbers this month, but this is to be expected with the volatility of monthly permits. Overall we expect to see growth in both sectors.”

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Restaurant listings For May 4, 2006

Thursday, May 4th, 2006

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. $$/$$$

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. $$

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. $$$

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. $$

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. $/$$

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. $$

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. $/$$

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. $/$$

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. $$$

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 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. $

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. $

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

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. $$$

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

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. $$

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. $$

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. $$$

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 For May 4, 2006

Gastown coalition launches battle against ‘Berlin Wall’ soccer stadium proposal

Thursday, May 4th, 2006

Maurice Bridge
Sun

VANCOUVER – With references to the Berlin Wall and Vancouver’s rejected waterfront freeway project from the 1960s, opponents of the proposed Whitecaps stadium in Gastown launched their counter-offensive Wednesday.

The Gastown Neighbourhood Coalition, made up of area businesses and residents, held a news conference to outline its objections to plans for a 16,000-seat outdoor soccer stadium on a seven-hectare parcel of railway property.

The stadium would extend north along the waterfront roughly between Richards and Cambie Streets on a platform above the railyard north of Water Street

“Gastown’s revitalization is well under way,” said coalition spokesman Jon Stovell, a longtime Gastown redeveloper. “We see this stadium in its form and its massing and its development on top of a table over the tracks — I call it big-box waterfront — as totally incompatible with . . . Gastown.”

Stovell said the stadium would be twice the height of the largest local buildings, which are capped at 22.8 metres, and would cut off much of Gastown from the rest of the city. “It’s going to form a sort of Berlin Wall, cutting the eastern parts of Gastown off from the city and off from the waterfront.”

Anthony Norfolk of the Gastown historic area planning committee, which advises city hall on the area, said placing the stadium on a platform over the tracks would present neighbouring buildings with a view of concrete pillars or a wall to cover them. “That would be horribly destructive.”

Posted in Other News Articles | Comments Off on Gastown coalition launches battle against ‘Berlin Wall’ soccer stadium proposal

April house sales fall, prices rise

Wednesday, May 3rd, 2006

Lack of listings, first time buyers push up asking prices

Fiona Anderson
Sun

Sales of homes in Greater Vancouver dropped a whopping 17.3 per cent in April from a year ago and dwindling supplies pushed up prices for some properties by almost 22 per cent.

Listings are way down so prices have to go up, Rick Valouche, president of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver said in an interview. There is less inventory, yet there is still pent-up demand and low mortgage rates continue to make buying affordable.

“[So] when something comes up [for sale] there are multiple offers and the price goes up,” he said. “There’s no bubble, it’s just economic supply and demand [and] there is no supply right now.”

Listings are usually up in spring when sellers think their houses look their best, Valouche said. But the current listing inventory is down 22.3 per cent from April 2005.

“Right now we are getting less and less listings,” Valouche said. “And that’s what’s scaring us.”

Cameron Muir, senior market analyst with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation said the supply of homes for sale has been a concern for some time now.

“As a result you see rapidly rising prices as consumers bid up the sales prices on the limited number of homes that are for sale,” Muir said.

“The biggest culprits in the dwindling inventories in the resale market are first time buyers and investors . . . who don’t have homes to trade back into the marketplace,” he said.

April was the second month in the last three months that saw year-over-year declines in sales. In February, house sales fell off 4.1 per cent, the first decline in the hot real estate market since March 2005.

Housing sales in the Greater Vancouver area fell to 3,345 units in April 2006 from 4,043 a year ago. The biggest drop was in apartment sales which fell 18.4 per cent, pushing prices up 21.8 per cent. A typical apartment in Greater Vancouver now costs $309,484.

Sales of detached homes fell 17.7 per cent in April 2006 while prices rose 19.7 per cent bringing the price of a typical house to $620,947. And the price of attached homes — homes that have their own entrance but are not completely detached — were pushed up 16.7 per cent to $380,163 while sales dropped 12.9 per cent.

But there are still deals to be found, Valouche said. For example, the median price of an apartment in Coquitlam suitable for first time buyers was $218,000, while $184,750 would buy an apartment in Maple Ridge.

Meanwhile, home prices in the Fraser Valley rose more than 20 per cent in April compared to a year earlier, while sales fell three per cent. Active listings however were down 18 per cent, the eleventh month in a row active listings fell.

“As far as I can see it’s a supply and demand situation,” David Rishel, president of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board said in an interview. “There is just no supply or it’s dwindling.”

But looking at the big picture, this was the seventh busiest April since 1979, Rishel said.

“So comparing these numbers to what has been the two best years in real estate history, a three per cent drop [in sales] is nothing,” Rishel said.

The biggest jump in prices was in apartments, which rose 28.1 per cent on average, from $148,401 to $190,093. An average detached house in the Fraser Valley now costs $454,830, up 20.6 per cent, while $283,740 is needed on average to buy a townhouse, up 20 per cent from April 2005.

Posted in Real Estate Related | Comments Off on April house sales fall, prices rise

Archive for May, 2006

Drink outside and skip the food?

It might be possible — council reviews pub rules on drinks-only patios

Restaurant listings For May 4, 2006

Gastown coalition launches battle against ‘Berlin Wall’ soccer stadium proposal

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