October 13, 2011: Dog Day Afternoon! And Crispy Duck with Mark and Ken!

Today, Akemi and I hit Yaletown (Lulu and Maximus in tow) where we met up with blog semi-regular (apparently, she' s been all sorts of busy) Nadine and her dog Bella.  While we strolled and macaron shoped, Nadine pitched me the merits of The Hunger Games, Lev Grossman, and Comic Con.  A pleasant few hours on an atypically sunny Vancouver day…

Above: Bella, ready for business.

Nadine, also ready for business.

Bella, at this point ready for treats.

Maximus makes a friend.

Bella aint so sure.

Maximus was great. There was none of the starting and stopping characteristic of those Toronto walks. He kept up and seemed to enjoy himself.

The three of them, from left to right: Lulu, Bella, and Maximus. Apparently, at one point while I had popped in to pick up some macarons, Akemi ordered the dogs to sit so she could give them a treat. Bella sat down immediately, then glanced over at an obstinate Lulu, still standing. Bella reached over and batted Lulu with her paw, causing Lulu to sit down. And they all got their treats.

And, the night before last, Akemi and I hit Refuel to catch up with a couple of my old Stargate buddies…

Longtime Stargate VFX Supervisor Mark Savela

Ken Kabatoff, presently on Falling Skies

Warm octopus and chicory salad with potato vinaigrette, romanesco. Delicious. The octopus is incredibly tender - actually, the tenderest "tako" Akemi has ever enjoyed. She was amazed!

If you didn't know, Mark and Ken have been making the rounds, pitching an original SF series called Echoes. The trailer is awesome and features the likes of Mike Doud (SGU's Varro) and Jennifer Spence (SGU's Lisa Park).

The pork shoulder on king mushrooms. An addition to that night's menu and another incredibly tender, aromatic, and tasty dish. Akemi in particular was won over by the mushrooms.

The Crispy Duck! It doesn't get any better than this. One of my favorite dishes - anywhere!

Mark and Ken are still awaiting word on Echoes.  Here's hoping it goes.  We need more scifi on t.v.!

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