Joe’s is looking for some fresh-shucked new talent to fill some exciting positions! We are thrilled to announce the first ever Joe Fortes Annual Hiring Fair, coming up in just a couple of weeks…
Be the first in the door to interview with one of BC’s best employers. We are looking for experienced and enthusiastic staff for all front of house positions including servers, bartenders, bussers and guest services. Full-time and part-time position are available, with flexible training schedules.
First interviews will be taking place March 12, 2011 from 9am to 12pm at Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House, 777 Thurlow Street. Clear your schedule, successful interviews will be invited back in the afternoon for a second meeting with department managers.
See our Careers page for more information on various jobs at Joe’s.
This week’s Chef’s Choice is Oysters Rockefeller. Oceanwise, fresh-shucked local oysters from the coast of BC’s Reid Island sit atop a bed of spinach, fennel and pernod. Served with hollandaise sauce and garnished with smoked paprika and fresh herbs.
Originally hailing from England and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Neil packed up and headed West to Vancouver in 2007. Following line cook, server, bartender and managerial stints with Prime Restaurants, S.I.R. Corp annd Prime Pubs in Toronto, Neil has come to call the left coast home. Passionate about the eclectic Vancouver restaurant industry, he has solidified himself as Restaurant Manager at Joe Fortes, where he thrives on building lasting relationships with Joe’s diverse guests.
We wanted to offer a very special Joe’s thank you to all of our Dine Out Vancouver 2011 patrons. DOV is one of our favourite times of the year because of all the new faces we get to meet – and the familiar ones we welcome back! This year’s menu was a hit and we were delighted to receive such great feedback on our Twitter and Facebook pages.
This week Chef’s Choice is in honor of what has got to be one of the greatest hybrids of all time–brunch! Featuring Joe’s Signature Benedict: crispy prosciutto, wild mushrooms, and truffle sage hollandaise, served with browned hashbrowns.
This week’s Chef’s Choice is another entree option for Dine Out Vancouver 2011: Prawn and Scallop Gomiti Pasta. This dish is served with Canadian sea scallops, tiger prawns, prosciutto, garden fresh green peas and tossed in a delicious cream sauce. Freshly grated grana padano parmesan and a herb garnish finish it off. We suggest a light and crisp appetizer such as Dotty’s Chopped Salad to compliment this delicious main course.
The past two weeks were chock full of celebrity sightings at Joe’s. Kate Beckinsale, in town filming the latest Underworld installment, stopped by with several guests for dinner. Denis Savard, the great Canadian Hockey Hall of Famer, also graced us with his presence, as did Jorge Garcia (Lost), Timothy Busfield (Law & Order, West Wing), and Steve Hytner (Two and a Half Men, Seinfeld).
Being that February is Black History Month, we thought it would be more than appropriate to showcase how Joe Fortes came to be one Vancouver’s most notable settlers.
Seraphim “Joe” Fortes was one of the most notable early Black settlers in Vancouver, where he lived from 1885 to 1922. He was born in Barbados and arrived in Vancouver on a ship which he worked aboard. In Vancouver, Joe Fortes worked as a porter and bartender and moved into a small cottage on English Bay near Stanley Park. Later, he saved many lives and taught children how to swim after becoming English Bay’s first official lifeguard in 1901.
Joe Fortes was much-loved. The City of Vancouver honoured Joe in 1910 in appreciation of his work. Joe received his greatest accolade after he died and the City staged a public funeral attended by hundreds of friends and admirers. A fountain was also erected at Alexandra Park near his former home in the West End using funds raised by children of the city. The fountain shows Joe’s face above children splashing around in water and bears the inscription “Little Children loved Him.” The library on Denman Street in the West End also bears his name.
