$3-billion plan

Miro Cernetig
Sun

VICTORIA — A $3-billion plan aimed at staving off gridlock in the Lower Mainland will be revealed today, with plans for more and bigger bridges, wider and longer highways and more green-friendly bicycle lanes for the next decade and beyond.

But the B.C. government warns that if Vancouver and its satellite cities want to avoid becoming the Los Angeles of the North, they’d better start reining in their love for cars. It wants them to fork out tolls every time they take their vehicles across that vital link over the Fraser River — the Port Mann Bridge.

In the future, concludes a report obtained by The Vancouver Sun, drivers who cross a revitalized Port Mann Bridge should pay about $2.50 per crossing. That will be collected from credit cards through electronic tolls, or, for those who aren’t registered, through cameras taking snapshots of their licence plates, with the bill being sent to them later.

“A potential toll on the Port Mann Bridge could be in the order of $2.50 each way for private vehicles,” says the government’s executive summary of the plan, which will be put to public hearings.

But even as it tries to control the use of cars, the government is planning some major expenditures to make it easier for those who must use them to get in and out of the city.

Premier Gordon Campbell will unveil these big-ticket items today:

– $1.5 billion: This is for the twinning of the Port Mann Bridge and the highway that leads to it.

This includes construction of an additional two lanes on Highway 1 and the Port Mann Bridge twinning, which will mean a second, new bridge supported by cables. It includes bicycle lanes and an engineering plan allowing for the future inclusion of a light-transit railway line when merited by the population and traffic.

– $800 million: This is to build a four-lane, 80 km/h highway on the south shore of the Fraser River, from Delta to the Golden Ears Bridge, with a connection to the important trade artery of Highway 1.

– $400 million. This is for the North Fraser Perimeter Road, an improved highway from New Westminster to Maple Ridge. It will include a new seven-lane bridge to replace the Pitt River swing bridges, which will ease flow into existing highways.

– $300 million. This is for a contingency fund in case the projects go over budget.

The B.C. government has not yet said if it will be using free-market partners — the so-called private, public P-3 partnerships — to build the new roadways and bridges. That will likely subject it to scrutiny from the New Democratic Party, which believes P3 partnerships are more costly to taxpayers in the long run.

The executive summary of the government’s Gateway Program report says the Lower Mainland’s new network will save the British Columbia economy anywhere from $500 million to $1.5 billion because of increased efficiency in commuter and commercial transportation costs and lost time to workers.

While there may be debate about the architecture of the new roadways and bridges, the provincial government believes there’s no real challenge to the economic argument.

“The initial cost estimate of the predesign concepts is in the range of $3 billion,” the government report says. “Based on quantifiable benefits and costs, the [project] has a strong business case, with benefit-to-cost ratio of 3 to 1.”

But the government also is proposing some disincentives to using the car.

It will spend $50 million on bike paths to encourage people to use bicycles when possible. The expenditure will be the biggest in B.C. for a regional cycling network, setting a precedent to encourage municipalities to link bicycle networks to major highways.

The government is also hoping to get more commuters into the same car. It hopes that tolls will be weighted in favour of the conscientious commuter and mean the investment in the Port Mann Bridge would mean less congestion for decades, rather than a few years.

“The rate [toll] for trucks could, if implemented, be higher, while the rate for motorcycles could be lower…,” the government proposes, suggesting that night-time users could even cross for free.

“This proposed tolling option, combined with improved transit service, HOV lanes, transit and commercial vehicle priority access facilities, would keep bridge congestion below current levels until 2031 or beyond.”

Without the discipline of tolls, the government argues, the benefits of the $1.5-billion project would be mostly eliminated.

“If the improved highway is not effectively managed through tolls and/or other congestion-reduction measures, analysts show that would reach current level of congestion five to 10 years after project completion.”

 

MAKING CONNECTIONS

The province’s Gateway plan slated for release today includes three main components:

– $1.5 billion

For the twinning of the Port Mann Bridge (circled, above).

– $800 million

For the South Fraser Perimeter Road (brown), a proposed four-lane 80-kilometre route along the south side of the Fraser River

– $400 million

For the North Fraser Perimeter Road (green), improvements to existing roads to provide a continuous route from New Westminster to Maple Ridge.

THE GATEWAY PROGRAM:

Three main components of the provincial government’s $3 billion Gateway Program to expand road capacity throughout Greater Vancouver:

1. South Fraser Perimeter Road: A proposed four-lane 80-kilometre route along the south side of the Fraser River, from Deltaport Way in Delta to the connector road leading to the proposed Golden Ears Bridge at the Langley-Surrey border. To be completed by 2012. Cost: $800 million.

2. North Fraser Perimeter Road: Improvements to existing roads to provide a continuous route from New Westminster to Maple Ridge. Cost: Includes a new seven-lane bridge to replace the existing Pitt River swing bridge and an improved interchange at Lougheed Highway and the Mary Hill Bypass. To be completed by 2009. Cost: $400 million.

3. Port Mann Bridge and Highway 1: Twinning of the bridge and adding one lane to Highway 1 in each direction between Vancouver and Langley. To be completed by 2013. The new bridge, to be built immediately west of the existing one, would accommodate transit, pedestrians, cyclists and future light rail transit. Cost: $1.5 billion.

Consquences of not twinning: Traffic backs up five km during morning rush at the Port Mann bridge to 176th Street.

by 2011 this congestion is expected to increase to 12 kilometres — as far as 200th Street.

By 2021, traffic could back up as far as 17 kilometres, to 246th Street.

By 2011 this congestion is expected to increase to 12 km — as far as 200th.

By 2021, traffic could back up as far as 17 km, to 216th Street.

Source: vancouver Sun

THE PRICE OF POPULARITY:

If you think the Lower Mainland’s gridlock can’t get any worse, consider what the newest government report says about what awaits Port Mann Bridge users if nothing is done to make the bridge bigger or reduce traffic:

2003: Back then, it was just a five-km lineup to get on the bridge at rush-hour’s peak.

2011: By this date, commuters will probably face a 12-km lineup.

2021: It will be a 17-km-long wait at the Port Mann, according to planners. Yes, Dorothy, you’re still in Langley though you really want to be in Burnaby or Vancouver.

Here are some other salient facts commuters might want to ponder, courtesy of the government’s latest report on commuter reality:

Current cost of congestion to truckers in the Lower Mainland is $500 million a year, according to the B.C. Trucking Association.

Transport Canada estimates the total extra transportation costs from congestion passed onto commuters is $1.5 billion.

The current Port Mann Bridge is considered to be congested for 13 hours a day. Its traffic is greater than that on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

The future is getting crowded: The Lower Mainland’s population has grown from 750,000 to 2.1 million in the last 20 years. By 2031, it will be 3 million.

By 2031, the government’s planners estimate, 25 to 40 per cent more commuters will need to be part of rush hour.

© The Vancouver Sun 2006

Board of historic retail chain accepts U.S. investor’s sweetened offer

Hollie Shaw
Sun

Hudson‘s Bay Co. accepted a sweetened offer from U.S. investor Jerry Zucker on Thursday in a deal that isn’t expected to affect Vancouver’s 2010 Olympic Games sponsorship agreement with Canada’s oldest company.

The deal ends months of speculation about the fate of the struggling and historic department store operator.

The retailer’s board accepted an offer of $15.25 a share from Zucker’s Maple Leaf Heritage Investments Acquisition Corp. — 50 cents above an offer the board rejected as inadequate in November, but below an unofficial $15.50 all-cash offer Zucker extended to management in August 2004.

Hudson‘s Bay signed a sponsorship deal in March worth more than $100 million in cash and value-in-kind contributions. with the Vancouver Olympic Organizing committee

“[Zucker] in their bid for HBC expressed support for the Vanoc marketing agreement,” Renee Smith-Valade, Vanoc’s vice-president of communications, said Thursday. Smith-Valade said Zucker’s group also expressed support of HBC’s strong sales of Olympic-related material.

News of the $1.7-billion offer, which dropped some of the original bid’s conditions in addition to its higher purchase price, comes three days before the expiry of Zucker’s bid and stemmed a plunge in HBC’s stock price.

Hudson‘s Bay — one of the world’s first modern joint-stock companies — closed at $13.58 on Wednesday as market watchers became uncertain about whether management would reach a deal with any bidder.

On Thursday the stock finished the day at $15.03.

The offer sends the 335-year-old retailing institution, which played a critical role in the exploration and development of Canada, into the hands of a foreigner.

HBC helped pioneer the modern department-store format in the early 1900 and introduced the Bay brand to Canadians in 1964, but its point blankets, first created by a weaver in England in 1780, have become a well-known Canadian symbol.

Zucker’s motives have been questioned repeatedly throughout the process, both by analysts who contended he put out an offer in hopes of drawing out a higher bid from elsewhere and from within the walls of HBC.

“After considering several offers for the company, [the board] has unanimously endorsed and is recommending that shareholders tender to the amended offer,” Yves Fortier, a governor of Hudson’s Bay Co., said in a statement.

The offer, which requires a minimum tender of 66.6 per cent of shares, will be mailed by Feb. 10 and expires on Feb. 24.

Despite speculation to the contrary, Zucker has insisted he does not want to break the company — whose trading area stretched from Labrador to the Pacific Ocean in 1821 — into pieces.

Robert Johnston, vice-president of Zucker’s InterTech Group, said the financier wants to accelerate the conversion of Zellers outlets into a more productive big-box format to compete with Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

The company will also improve customer service and supply-chain management through the use of technology, he said.

Although Zucker was not pleased about the prospect of selling the retailer’s credit card operation — HBC management said last year it would consider offers to buy it — Johnston now says “the process will probably continue towards a sale.”

He said the company did not plan any major layoffs beyond the 800 announced last fall, and had made no decisions about whether current management will stay.

Given the retailer’s track record — five years of flat sales and losses in seven of the last eight fiscal quarters — a management shuffle is likely, but observers have mixed opinions about whether HBC can be turned around as it is now.

Comprised of 98 Bay stores, 294 Zellers stores, 56 Home Outfitters stores, seven Designer Depot outlets — a Winners-like store — and 118 Fields, HBC has been ceding market share in its core retail operations for the last decade to more nimble mass merchants such as Wal-Mart.

“Certainly the Bay that exists a year from now will not be the one that is here today,” said retail consultant Anthony Stokan of Anthony Russell and Associates, who predicts Zucker will likely sell 30-40 of the Bay’s urban locations to Federated Department Stores Inc., which could replace the stores with its Macy’s format.

“This does present an extraordinary point of entry for several American retailers to come into Canada.”

Consumers are less likely now to shop inside multi-floor department stores, he said, but a smaller chain could still perform well in Canada under the correct banner.

The picture hasn’t been any better at Zellers since Wal-Mart steam-rolled into Canada 11 years ago and built itself into the country’s biggest retailer behind grocery giant Loblaw Cos.

Management had tried to rework the struggling chain by closing poorly performing stores and introducing exclusive brands, emulating a strategy employed by successful U.S. counterpart Target Corp., but the strategies have yet to yield significant results.

George Hartman, retailing analyst at Dundee Securities, believes Zucker will consider numerous offers from interested real estate and retail parties once the deal closes in February. “I suspect [Zucker’s] original plans have been changed by the results of the company in the past year,” he said. “I also suspect [Zucker] has no shortage of calls coming in.”

Johnston said Maple Leaf had received numerous “unsolicited expressions of interest” from industry players wanting to acquire parts of HBC but the company has no intention to divide the retailer now.

Zucker, who owns 18.8 per cent of HBC’s shares, began buying stock in mid-2003 when it was trading at about $9.

Frustrated with the retailer’s dwindling operating performance and management’s refusal to give him a seat on the board, and irked about the prospect of HBC selling off its credit card operation, Zucker went public with his intention to make a hostile bid in late October.

He had been interested in buying the company for more than a year, but management had rejected his advances.

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.

© The Vancouver Sun 2006

Sun

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. $$/$$$

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. $/$$

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. $$

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. $$

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. $/$$

Shijo Finely tuned flavours, some imaginative dishes. 1926 West Fourth Ave., 604-732-4676. $$

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. $

Sami’s Progressive Indo-American food. 986 West Broadway, 604-736-8345 $

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. $

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. $$$

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. $$/$$$

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. $$

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. $$

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. $$

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

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. $$/$$$

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

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. $$

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. $/$$$

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

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. $$/$$$

© The Vancouver Sun 2006

Science World BC

Province

Thanks to the generous support of the Ministry of Education, all K-7 students in BC can have one free Science World experience, per year, under the newly initiated BC Program for the Awareness and Learning of Science (BC PALS). Location is no limit. Science World’s Outreach Programs travel to the far reaches of BC and turn kids on to science with our trademark, playful approach to learning.

Turning kids on to science – province wide

Since September 2005, over 11,000 kids in communities from the Queen Charlotte Islands to Mackenzie have experienced our in-school science “spectaculars”. Thousands more have learned about the science that exists in their own backyards through Community Science Celebrations. By spinning plates, creating explosions, blowing bubbles and having fun, BC’s kids are seeing the scientific concepts they learn in textbooks come alive – and they are delighting in it!

BC PALS programs are designed to complement BC’s science curriculum, and encourage students to take science beyond the classroom and into their own lives. At home, kids can use Science World’s award-winning on-line resources with their families. During Family Science Nights, parents learn and play with their children in a fun, community setting.

BC PALS also helps fund Science World’s Super Science Club, an after-school program for inner-city schools. Here, enthusiastic students learn about everything from potential energy to ecology through unexpected means – like vegetable car races, building”grass heads” and making ice-cream in lunch bags. Currently, six schools in Vancouver host this program and the demand is growing throughout the province. Okanagan Science Centre has recently initiated its own “Wild on Science” program in Vernon – based on our own Super Science Club!

For more information call 604-443-7500 or visit www.scienceworld.ca

Science World gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Province of British Columbis through the Ministry of Education.

Security expert shares Top 10 tips for making your home burglar-proof

Jeani Read
Province

Maybe you’ve seen the ads: those grubby characters cheerfully breaking into houses and cars, thanking us for helping them rip us off. “Thanks for leaving the back door unlocked,” says the guy looting through all your stuff. “Thanks for letting me know you’re on vacation,” says the guy glancing at your stuffed mailbox. “Thanks for not installing a deadbolt,” says the guy kicking your door in.

These are part of the Vancouver Police Department’s latest ruse to confuse criminals: to enlist the public to get onside with ads that remind us of the common-sense ways we can help prevent crime. VPD says it reduced property crime five per cent in 2004 and a further six per cent by mid-2005. The aim is for 20 per cent within four years.

We thought giving them — instead of the criminals — a hand would be a great idea. Longtime security expert Frank Fourchalk recently launched his own popular crime prevention site, www.

yourhomesecurity.ca. We asked him for his top tips for preventing property crime, giving the path of least resistance a bit more resistance.

“About half of home burglaries are committed without force,” says Fourchalk. “Burglars are opportunists. They don’t usually spend more than 60 seconds trying to break into a home. But if you’re sitting in a home with cheap locks and a bare-bones alarm system, chances are an intruder could blow through your door, take off with your valuables and be gone long before the police arrive.”

So here goes.

1 Locks: These are your first line of defence. Install high security deadbolts, which have virtually pick-resistant cylinders, solid-spin collars to protect against twisting, two-inch deadlocking bolts of saw-resistant steel and a heavy-duty reinforced strike. “Cheap locks are just junk,” says Fourchalk.

2 Keys: When you move into a home, have the locks re-keyed. Previous owners, relatives and friends will have the key. In new homes and condos, builders often have master keys. It’s the most affordable and sensible thing to do.

3 Security system: Install a hard-wired system with good coverage. You need several motion detectors and contacts on all the windows and doors, even upstairs. Burglars will enter upstairs, partly because they know owners skimp on alarms there.

4 Doors: Make sure exterior doors are of solid-core construction. Install door viewers. All out-swinging doors should have the outside hinges pinned to prevent removing the door and sliding patio doors should have auxiliary locks with anti-lift shims or screws to prevent lifting the door out of the frame. Do not open the door to strangers. Paranoia aside, be suspicious of unscheduled visits from delivery or servicemen. If a forced entry is attempted, lock the door and phone 911. Have an accessible cellphone for emergency situations.

5 Windows: Windows should have auxiliary locks or a wood dowel in the bottom track to prevent prying, and anti-lift shims in the top track to prevent lifting the window out of the frame. Install security bars (with safety releases) on all vulnerable house windows, including garage and basement. Keep drapes drawn at night so bad guys don’t pick up on your living habits. Don’t leave open windows unattended.

6 Indoor illusion of security: Make the home look occupied at all times. Put indoor lights on a timer, use timers that randomly turn lights and radio on and off, and tune the station to talk radio rather than music. Leave the curtains open about an inch so that it gives the impression that someone is inside.

7 Outdoor illusion of security: Buy a big pair of boots — a size 12 or 13 — and leave them on the stoop. Dump the boots in muck so they don’t look brand new. You can also place a large dog dish and dog leash outside the door to create the illusion that a big person and a big dog live there.

8 Grounds: “Burglars hate lights,” says Fourchalk. Install outdoor lights at the entrance and place motion-sensor lights around the perimeter of the home, out of arm’s reach. And if you can’t do that, then install a protective cage around the fixture to slow the removal of the bulb. Make sure all entry areas are especially well lit. Keep all trees trimmed to help eliminate hiding places. Large trees should not have their lowest branches lower than seven feet off the ground. Keep all ground plants under windows below the window sill.

9 Garage: Install auxiliary locks on garage windows as well as the wood dowel in the bottom track and anti-lift shims in the top track. Interior doors from garage to home should be of solid-core construction with deadbolt. Install window coverings on garage windows. Never leave the remote garage door opener in your vehicle (purchase a mini remote and keep it on your key chain).

10 Join a Block Watch or Neighbourhood Watch Program, or at the very least get to know your neighbours and their habits. Detecting something suspicious can be the first step towards foiling a crime. Your neighbours can be your first line of defence.

© The Vancouver Province 2006

From VoiP services to giant-screen plasma television, it’s hospitality on cutting edge

Misty Harris
Sun

Once the stuff of James Bond and Mission Impossible, innovations such as iris scanners, thumb-print security and electronic butlers are now being used to secure the loyalty of Canadian travellers, especially the large percentage who travel on business.

Whether working abroad or closer to home, hotel guests are finding technology as much a part of the hospitality experience as room service and miniature soaps. From virtual concierges to Voice over Internet protocol phones, the future is just an automated check-in away.

“We’re right at the forefront,” says Anthony Pollard, president of the Hotel Association of Canada. “In most cases, guests expect [technologically equipped rooms] in the same way they would expect to see a coffee maker, amenities or a television.”

Each room in the SoHo Metropolitan in Toronto, for instance, features state-of-the-art entertainment, heated marble floors, remote-control lighting, motorized drapes, laptop-compatible safes and wireless Internet access.

Visitors to Vancouver’s Pacific Palisades Hotel can reserve their own on-site office, complete with ergonomic furniture and Murphy beds for those who like to burn the midnight oil.

Pollard says it’s all part of an industry-wide trend in which “the office becomes the hotel room.”

Nearly half (47 per cent) of all reservations are made online. Electronic access cards are being replaced by keyless entry. VoIP phones in rooms enable everything from instant stock quotes to streaming radio and global currency conversion. Wireless Internet is no longer the exception, but the rule.

“In Canada, between 65 and 70 per cent of the use of hotels is by business travellers, a little bit higher than in the U.S.,” says Pollard. “The majority of them are going into their rooms, sitting down at the desk and working.”

For the country’s $12.6-billion lodging industry, the goal is to strike a balance between business and pleasure.

At Ottawa’s high-tech Brookstreet, a favourite with the white-collar crowd, guests who conduct business on the golf course never need worry about privacy because cart traffic is remotely monitored through LED screens and global positioning.

Similarly at the W Montreal, work-related technology — including infrared keyboards, high-speed data port connectivity and multiple phone lines — is balanced with advanced entertainment systems, in-room DVD players, flat-screen TVs and magnetic elevator keys for exclusive floor access.

“Our guests are trendy and incredibly aware of what’s new and hip,” says the W’s Sabine Kadyss. “What we want for them is to get connected in a convenient and user-friendly way.”

Outside Canada, hoteliers are just as eager to please.

At the Semiramis Hotel in Greece, Toronto-raised designer Karim Rashid has outfitted rooms with digital locks, electronic message boards outside every door, cordless keyboards and broadband access through plasma TVs.

In New York, each of the Mandarin Oriental’s rooms features about $50,000 of electronics, including plasma screens, computers, iPod docks and an intelligence network that learns everything from guests’ taste in music to their food preferences.

High-flyers at Boston’s Nine Zero can conveniently access an iris-secured suite by having their eyes scanned. In Hong Kong, so-called “cyber hotels” feature such geekery as thumb-print identification, total building wireless Internet, and bedside power sockets for overnight BlackBerry charging.

© The Vancouver Sun 2006

City hopes to have complex built by 2009

John Colebourn
Province

The City of North Vancouver has unveiled plans for a $30-million national maritime centre on the former Versatile-Burrard Shipyards property to the east of Lonsdale Quay.

North Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto said yesterday he’s optimistic that both Ottawa and Victoria will each agree to contribute about a third of the cost. The final third will come from the city.

“This really is an exciting day for North Vancouver,” the newly elected Mussatto told reporters. “It is truly a great location for the facility — and it is the site where the St. Roch and other famous ships were built.”

The St. Roch, the RCMP schooner that in the 1940s became the first vessel to sail the Northwest Passage in both directions, is now housed at the Vancouver Maritime Museum in Kitsilano.

Mussatto predicted the maritime centre would be self-sufficient by its third year of operation.

In December, North Vancouver councillors approved the proposal for the state-of-the-art, 7,400-square-metre facility dedicated to Canada’s rich nautical heritage.

Instead of calling it a maritime museum, city planners — noting that it will include a wide range of educational programs and events — have dubbed it the National Maritime Centre for the Pacific and the Arctic.

Plans include deep-water berths, a deep-water moorage, a 213-metre public pier and the capability of hosting an event the size of a tall-ships festival.

“It is very important the centre is self-sustaining,” said Isabel Gordon, the city’s waterfront project manager. “Its a concept that includes a lot of other things, like retail and commercial areas.”

Plans call for an interactive educational centre with a library, retail and restaurant space and a variety of historical exhibits.

The city also hopes the St. Roch can be moved from its Vanier Park location to the site where it was built.

If funding does come through as hoped, Gordon said, the maritime centre could open by the spring of 2009.

“Leading up to the Olympics, Vancouver will be on the world’s stage, and we need to be open,” she said. “We have a lot of work to do.”

Gordon Houston, head of the Vancouver Port Authority, lauded the idea of a well-planned maritime centre in the active port.

“It’s a very exciting thing for us, and we will definitely be part of this project,” Houston said. “There’s a lot of work to do.”

Ian Rokeby, speaking for the Vancouver Maritime Museum, also applauded the plan.

“In this day, we’re competing with so many other attractions,” he said. “So go big or go home.”

Rokeby said it is unclear what will eventually happen to the Vancouver Maritime Museum, which is short on space and has been contemplating an expansion or move of its own.

© The Vancouver Province 2006

Facility on shipyard site to include retail and commercial development

Gerry Bellett
Sun

A $32-million National Maritime Centre that might eventually replace Vancouver’s Maritime Museum is being proposed for the former Burrard Shipyards site near Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver.

North Vancouver City Mayor Darrell Mussatto announced the proposal Wednesday, saying it could be completed in time for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

“The location is ideal from a historical and heritage standpoint,” said the mayor.

“It would be located at the centre of Canada’s largest and busiest port and within clear view of downtown Vancouver –the nation’s gateway to the Pacific and Asia.”

He said the site is important because a significant part of B.C.’s shipbuilding industry was once located there and historic ships such as the RCMP vessel St. Roch — now the centrepiece of the Vancouver Maritime Museum — was constructed at the shipyard.

The National Maritime Centre for the Pacific and Arctic would be a major addition to the waterfront, and a prime attraction, said the mayor.

The city is prepared to put up $10 million in land and services to back the proposal and would seek financing from the provincial and federal governments and private industry.

The announcement was made in front of a crowd of more than 100 people, including federal and provincial politicians, officials from the three North Shore municipalities, the shipping industry and such agencies as the Vancouver Port Authority.

Hotel, retail, and commercial development would also be available on the 80,000 square foot site, which would have deep-water moorage and 213 metres of public pier space for the centre and visiting vessels.

Mussatto said the next step is to compile a business plan for the development to show it would be economically viable and able to turn a profit after two years’ operation.

“We have to do a proper business plan to make sure it will be self-funding, then we’ll be working with government and private industry to bring it about,” he said.

“We think it will cost about $32 million and we’re looking at a one third-one third-one third split between us, government and private industry,” he said.

“This will bring business and tourism to the area and will be a real jewel in the crown, having it in North Vancouver.”

What it all means for the future of the Vancouver Maritime Museum “remains to be seen,” said museum executive director James Delgado, who supports the proposal.

“The museum will remain open. This is an exciting project. It’s not the relocation of the Vancouver Maritime Museum — this is something completely new,” he said.

The present site of the museum at Kitsilano Point doesn’t provide sufficient space to display its collection, he said, and the site suffers from lack of access because it is in a park surrounded by a residential area.

A City of Vancouver study done in 1997 recommended a new site be found and a major rebuild be undertaken to meet the public’s expectations.

As for repatriating St. Roch, the first vessel to travel the Northwest Passage in both directions, Delgado said that is a question that would need to be decided by Vancouver.

“The St. Roch and the large collection of material in the museum all belong to the City of Vancouver,” he said.

© The Vancouver Sun 2

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 Street. Inventive food, hip spot. 2420 Main, 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. $$/$$$

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. $$

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

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. $$

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. $$$.

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. $

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

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

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

JAPANESE

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. $$

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

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. $$

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

FRENCH/BELGIAN

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. $$$

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. $$/$$$

GREEK

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

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. $$

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

INDIAN

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. $$

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. $$

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. $$

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. $$$

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

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. $

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. $$$

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. $$

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. $

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

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

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

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

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

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. $$

SQUAMISH AND WHISTLER

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

Ciao Thyme Small and crowded but a budget-minded jewel. Great breakfasts. 4573 Chateau Blvd., 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. $/$$$

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. $$/$$$

© The Vancouver Sun 2006