● Van Doren @ Elixir at the OPUS Hotel (Yaletown) - This standout server packs incredible knowledge into her tiny frame, and not just about the main dishes. In a quandary about dessert? She's a former pastry chef. Questions about wine? She's a sommelier. And if you're game to try a self- guided wine tour during your holiday, this adorable brainbox knows 'em all and will point you wherever your palate wants to go. ● Jimmy "the Greek" @ Coast (Downtown) - It's his career, and it shows. Old school like few in today's restaurant scene, Jimmy's stories alone would be worth a visit, and despite the au courant design and menu, his classic style of service is a testament to Vancouver's glory days, then and now. ● Corey @ West (South Granville) - Nouvelle service might be a misnomer, but there's also nothing new school about the elegant ballet that takes place every night at top-rated West. No less than three sommeliers are on the floor at every dinner service, but Corey's savvy and great humor earn him laurels from guests for good reason.

● Abel @ Bishop's (Kitsilano) - Maitre d' Abel Jacinto is another careerist whose dedication to perfection is always appreciated by both bluebloods and blue-hairs. As attentive as the restaurant's well-heeled West side-regulars expect, it would be hard to compete with the likes of owner John Bishop's manifold graces every night, but somehow he does it. ● Jack @ Teahouse (West End) - Some nights it sounds like a nursery rhyme with Jack and Jill serving together on the sun-drenched patio, but the lady with the lad's name won't just stop at fetching you water. Chatty, sincere and as warm as Stanley Park's tourist-thronged afternoons, out-of-towners, lovebirds and families find themselves in her section and the good times come tumbling after. ● Rich & Isabel @ Chambar (Gastown) - In a space that throbs with gustatory glamour, you've gotta have something special to hold your own. Let mostessy hostess Isabel take you deep into the restaurant's deceptively roomy funpockets, and into the capable hands of a sinewy bluesman known as Rich Hope, who serves as dexterously as he honky tonks around town at places like The Yale. ● Bill @ Cru (South Granville) - You might think it's the custom lighting, but make no mistake: this slim space glows whenever General Manager Bill's on the floor. Always ready with wine pairing advice, genuinely delighted to share the tiny kitchen's fresh philosophy with first-timers, his casual, iconoclastic style means he might even take the seat next to you to chat a moment, but the service never suffers, and the smiles only widen on future visits. ● Morgan & Massimo @ Cioppino's (Yaletown) - Formality isn't a bad thing, especially when it's in service of the city's premiere Italian cuisine. Maitre d' Massimo has been with Chef Pino Posteraro since their days in Tuscany, and under their supervision, Morgan pays the artistry of the cuisine its proper homage on its way to your table. ● Darcy @ Boneta (Gastown) - Gastown has got it as far as food and nightlife go, and the service here is quality from the top down (and from the open kitchen to the front door). Unfailingly charming to both touristas and fashionistas, Darcy's easy approachability is mirrored by the conviviality of the bar-forward space and her equally fine male counterparts, who themselves have no shortage of admirers in the neighborhood. ● Amber @ Circa (Downtown) - In a massive room that can tend towards the impersonal, this lithe stunner manages to effervesce even on flat nights. More than a pretty face (among a staff of equally pretty faces), she's got LA looks, but the small-town sparkle of your favorite little cafe.

Photo: At left, Amber, one of the gems of the Circa Restolounge team. (Photo credit: David Wilson)