MOUNT WASHINGTON ALPINE FOOD FEST
Pictures from 2009 Mt. Washington Food Festival
From September 3 to 5, 2010, Vancouver Island’s Mount Washington Alpine Resort located three hours and 30 minutes north of Victoria, BC, celebrates the finest of Island fare at the Mount Washington Alpine Food Festival. With products from the farms, ranches, waters, and kitchens of the Comox Valley and beyond, guests are invited to meet the chefs, learn some new culinary skills and taste fabulous food throughout the two day affair. Festival highlights include an Alpine Marketplace, cooking demonstrations and classes taught by local and guest chefs including Food Network Canada star Chef Anthony Sedlak, and the kick-off event, the Alpine Cocktail Reception: a gourmet grazing event featuring the music of Chilean-born virtuoso Rodrigo Figueroa playing a mix of Latin and Blues-inspired melodies. Accommodation packages for the event start at $327.00 CDN / $322.00 USD and include two nights’ accommodation in a one bedroom condo, tickets to the cocktail reception, gourmet gala dinner, two cooking classes, two buffet breakfasts, five tickets to the Alpine Marketplace and one mile high chairlift ride. Individual event tickets are also available. Mount Washington is Vancouver Island’s premier ski and snowboard resort in the winter months and the playground for mountain bikers, hikers, and alpine enthusiasts in the summer. For more information visit www.mountwashington.ca.
Victoria’s North Saanich Flavour Trail
On August 21 and 22, 2010, the 4th Annual North Saanich Flavour Trail will take place in Victoria, BC. North Saanich, one of the newest and fastest growing Agritourism regions on Vancouver Island, is located 25 minutes north of downtown Victoria. Surrounded on three sides by ocean shores, North Saanich is known for its agriculture, as evidenced by its large number of farms and road side produce and flower stands. Flavour Trail festivities focus on the importance of agriculture in the area by highlighting the farms, wineries, and nurseries that showcase North Saanich food production. Victoria visitors interested in going behind the scenes of the island’s local gastronomy will enjoy meeting the farmers and shaking hands with the vintners whose products are found on the menus of many of Victoria’s finest restaurants. The North Saanich Flavour Trail invites visitors to taste their way through markets and participate in hands-on activities at many of the local farms and producers. For more information visit www.northsaanich.ca.
Update on Victoria Taste starting tomorrow
Taste uncorks with The Main Event at Crystal Garden in downtown Victoria this Thursday evening. Victoria is known for its many impassioned chefs, winemakers, fishers, cheesemakers and more who are the heart of a distinctive culinary scene. Many of these trailblazers will be hosting seminars and events during the four-day summer festival.
www.victoriataste.com/2010-schedule-of-events
David Mincey, Chef, Educator and Owner, Camille’s Fine West Coast Dining
Co-owner of Camille’s for over 20 years, Mincey was recently recognized by readers of EAT Magazine with a Lifetime Achievement award. Among many things, Mincey is an expert and lecturer in the subject of chocolate and has his own chocolate cellar. Meet Mincey at Taste on Saturday July 17th for an informative and intriguing three hour seminar titled “Chocoholics Anonymous”.
Bob Fraumeni, Owner and Fisher, Finest at Sea
Finest at Sea is Canada’s only 100% known-origin fish and seafood supplier in Canada. Finest at Sea makes a point of communicating this information to their wholesale customers. Fraumeni takes what he does seriously and takes time to educate the public. Join the staff from FAS in a rare opportunity to peek behind the scenes and learn about the local seafood outlook at “Sustainable Seafood” Friday July 16th at FAS on Erie Street in James Bay.
Chef Brad Horen, Culinary Team Canada Captain
Brad Horen is not only the Executive Chef for the Inn at Laurel Point, he is Captain for the Canadian Culinary Olympic Team. But all this fame has not gone to his head. His culinary tastes stay close to home with his passion for local food products, especially seafood and produce. Taste your way through artfully prepared local seafood at “Sips and Seafood” Friday July 16th on the seashore at the Inn at Laurel Point. Meet the fishers from Finest at Sea working alongside Inn at Laurel Point chefs…the perfect pairing.
Louise Wilson, Wine & Spirit Education Trust instructor and Master of Wine student
Now in pursuit of her Master of Wine designation, sommelier Louise Wilson is one of the most educated wine individuals on Vancouver Island. With 280 Masters of Wine worldwide and only one other in British Columbia, this is an enormous goal. Louise is also an instructor for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust of London and teaches wine instruction in Victoria on behalf of The International Culinary School (Vancouver). Join Louise on Saturday July 17th at the Hotel Grand Pacific for a wine tasting seminar where you can learn to taste like the pros.
Daniela Cubelic, Tea Master
Not many know that Victoria has its very own Tea Master among us. This designation is earned and bestowed upon only a few in North America and Daniela Cubelic is Victoria’s resident tea expert. The Silk Road team will lead an introductory tea tasting very similar to a wine tasting Friday July 16th. Experience the similarities, appreciate the bouquet, sip, slurp, and savor under the tutelage of the experts at Silk Road during “Tea Tasting 101”.
Taste shines the spotlight on the local, seasonal and sustainable products of Vancouver Island and the great characters who create them. These fine case of delicious indulgence uncork this Thursday with The Main Event which is quickly selling out. For information and ticket purchase: www.victoriataste.com/main-events
Comox Valley Shellfish Festival June 2010
The Comox Valley Shellfish Festival is expecting their largest turnout yet for the two-day festival starting on June 19th. The Gala Evening Dinner kicks things off at the historic Filberg Lodge where 200 people will be treated to the culinary delights of some of BC’s top chefs. This event sold-out by the end of May.
The festivities continue on Sunday at Comox Marina Park and organizers are expecting to break the attendance record of 1,500 guests as word spreads about this unique event in the Comox Valley. Culinary tourism is growing and the Comox Valley Shellfish Festival is taking off as seen by the attendance this year of two film crews from both domestic and international markets that will be highlighting the festival and the Comox Valley to a national and international audience. Even the Globe & Mail has jumped on the festival in an uncompromising East vs West Coast shellfish debate.
With more to do, see and taste this year, the festival day promises a little bit for everyone. The Sunday event is open to all and tickets can be purchased on-site for the tasting booths. On top of the many culinary treats being offered there will be seafood sales, a beer garden, live entertainment, an oyster shucking competition for Island bragging rights and info booths from the likes of Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program and more.
For more information and a schedule of events please visit the website at www.comoxvalleyshellfishfestival.ca
See you at the park this Sunday!
Comox Shellfish Festival – Oyster Shucking and Beer Gardens
Sunday, June 20th things get shucking Festival Day at Comox Marina Park
The party continues on Sunday, June 20th at Comox Marina Park with tasting booths featuring shellfish delicacies as well as desert treats, a beer garden and the much anticipated Oyster Shucking Contest. Festival runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is open to the public. No entrance fee.
Celebrated home grown musician Des Larson will be lighting up the stage with his truly eclectic repertoire of groovy Island influenced music.
The Pacific Kiss Oyster Shucking Competition will be taking place at 2 p.m. at the oyster shucking booth. If you are interested in putting your skills to the test it could be worth a cool $500 to you. Please click here for more information.
Schedule:
11 a.m. Festival opens
All food vendors open
11 a.m. Surgenor beer garden opens
12 p.m. Des Larson performs on the main stage
2 p.m. Pacific Kiss Oyster Shucking Competition on the main stage
2:30 p.m. Des Larson on the main stage
4 p.m. Des Larson on the main stage
Fresh seafood sales off the Comox dock weather/availability permitting.
Participating food vendors include:
Sugar Mamma’s – will be featuring oyster burgers on potato bun with Gomashio coleslaw
Tria – organic strawberry and cream crepes
Fanny Bay Oysters – Clam chowder
Mac’s Oysters – Barbecued oysters
Pentlatch Seafoods – Steamed clams and mussels
Stellar Bay – raw oysters on the half shell
In addition:
Aquatec Seafoods – will be vending their seafood
Steamweavers – providing an array of regular and specialty coffees
Surgenor Breweries – running the beer tent
Island Scallops – selling frozen scallops
There will also be some information booths hosted by Comox Valley Economic Development, the Vancouver Aquarium’s Oceanwise program, the BC Marina Mammal Response Network and others.
