This week on the Good Life we check out Granville Island Brewery’s Brockton IPA, update you on South Granville’s Chow Restaurant’s new menu and cocktail list and check on events, wine dinners and seafood festivals.
Listen on CFUN 1410 am The Buzz Jen and Joe show – Wednesday at 9:15 a.m. http://www.talk1410.com/shows.php?p=1000397758.htm
Drink – Granville Island Brockton IPA
www.gib.ca
Chow Restaurant & Lounge
http://chow-restaurant.com
events
April 25 – Discover the Wines of Portugal at Marquis
www.marquis-wines.com
April 26 – Portuguese Wine Luncheon at Senova
www.marquis-wines.com
April 28 – Merlot Tasting
www.vaws.org
April 29 – Blue Water Café at Books to Cooks
www.bookstocooks.com
April 30 – Deuce and Church and State Wine Dinner
www.deucerestaurant.ca
April 29 – Burnaby’s Empty Bowls Project Invites You to Nosh for a Cause
Call Shadbolt Centre for the Arts Box Office at 604 205-3000 or
May 1 – 8th Annual Steveston Seafood & Wine Festival
Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site
April 22 – The Good Life
Drink – Granville Island Brockton IPA
www.gib.ca
Brockton IPA celebrates the brewery’s 25th Anniversary. This Pacific
Northwest India Pale ale is refreshing, fruity with some mild bitterness and
definite hoppiness. Great for sipping poolside. Get it in the mixed 12 pack
and compare to Granville Island’s other bottles and celebrate Stanley
Park.
BIO – Vern Lambourne Brewmaster
Granville Island Brewing’s Brewmaster Vern Lambourne has a knack for brewing quality beer with recognizable passion in every batch he brews.
Since joining the Granville Island team in 2001, Vern has staked his claim
with innovations that have added to the already-vast selection of quality products. His flare and energy have been behind some of Granville Island Brewing’s award-winning brews, such as Kitsilano Maple Cream Ale and Robson Street Hefeweizen.
Born in Nanaimo, BC, Vern graduated with a BSc in biochemistry from the University of Victoria. After University, Vern jetted off to merry old England where a pint is the easiest drink to find. His British brewing education crafted a true appreciation for different styles of beer.
After brewing at the Orange Brewery in London, England, Vern moved back to BC to continue his passion working with various brewpubs in Metro Vancouver.
Vern eventually found the gig he was born to do, Brewmaster, of Granville Island
Brewing.
Chow Restaurant and Lounge
http://chow-restaurant.com
Chow has recently switched its menu to become a more casual and affordable
restaurant, and managed to do so without compromising quality. Located on South
Granville, owner and Chef J.C. Poirier sources fresh local ingredients to create
innovative dishes such as albacore tuna tartar, salt cod brandade ravioli, braised
veal cheeks with sauteed spaetzel and pan seared striped bass.
Bar Manager, Lauren Mote recently impressed our group by treating us to cocktail
and wine pairings. With Poirier’s pork dumplings in a miso ginger lime
broth Mote choose the Dark ‘n Stormy (havana blanco rum, cointreau, fresh
lime juice, stewart’s gingerbeer), to accompany the tuna tartar the Mexicana
(el jimador reposado tequila, muddled kumquats, cilantro, fresh lime juice,
simple syrup) and with the house made smoked salmon with onion rings, we enjoyed
the Mint/Cucumber Fauxito (plymouth gin, brizard apple manzanita, elderberry
syrup, mint, cucumber, fresh lime juice, soda). All worked perfectly and where
a welcome change from wine, although Note’s wine knowledge is not lacking
either.
3121 Granville Street (at 15th), Vancouver, BC V6H 3K1
Phone: 604 608 2469
http://chow-restaurant.com
Events
April 25 – Discover the Wines of Portugal at Marquis
www.marquis-wines.com
Come join us at Marquis Wine Cellars on Saturday, April 25th from 1-4pm as we host our “Discover the Wines of Portugal” tasting. This FREE tasting is hosted Marquis in partnership with two local wine agencies, Free House and Seacove.
This is a rare opportunity to explore and sample a diverse selection of wines from a country who has an extensive winemaking history. We are all familiar with the classic wines of Portugal, namely port and mateus. But who knows what a good Bairrada or Palmela tastes like?
No need to RSVP, just come by anytime between 1-4 pm to taste a selection of incredible wines. Everyone is welcome, so tell your family, friends and co-workers.
Date: Saturday, April 25th, 2009
Time: 1-4 pm
Location: Marquis Wine Cellars, 1034 Davie Street
Cost: FREE
April 26 – Portuguese Wine Luncheon at Senova
www.marquis-wines.com
For years, Portugal was only known to the world’s wine drinkers for its
great sweet fortified wine, port, and for a few other wines, like Mateus and
Lancers. Portuguese table wines were simple and rustic with such high acidity
that few wine drinkers could find any pleasure in them. Since the early 1990’s,
Portugal’s table wines, particularly its unique reds, have made great
advances in quality with the introduction of many modern winemaking techniques.
With this in mind, Marquis Wine Cellars has partnered with Free House Wine and Spirits, Seacove Premium Wine & Exquisite Spirits, and Senova Restaurant to create a unique wine experience for you, the wine lover’s of Vancouver.
Join us on Sunday, April 26th, 2009 for lunch at Senova Restaurant as a selection of wines from Portugal’s premier wine producing regions is paired with a special three course menu which has been prepared by Senova’s proprietor, Manual Ferriera. As an added bonus, Joao Silvia e Sousa, winemaker at Quinta da Veiga, will be in attendance to talk about the wines and to answer your questions
about Portugal’s diverse wine regions.
Tickets are $60 per person and are available for purchase exclusively through Marquis Wine Cellars.
Date: Sunday, April 26th, 2009
Time: Reception at 11:30am and Lunch from 12-2pm
Location: Senova Restaurant, 1864 W. 57th Ave, Vancouver
Cost: $60 per person (all inclusive)
April 28 – Merlot Tasting
www.vaws.org
Listel Hotel, 1300 Robson St
Speaker: Sandra Oldfield of Tinhorn Creek Winery
Sandra holds a Masters of Food Science, Enology from the University of California at Davis. Her thesis work was done in conjunction with the Robert Mondavi Winery. She has also worked in Quality Control at Rodney Strong Vineyards and at Piper Sonoma Vineyards in California. She joined Tinhorn Creek Vineyards in 1994 and currently is involved with many organizations including the British Columbia
Wine Institute and the American Society of Enology and Viticulture. Sandra is also a VQA Judge. Merlot is one of the varietals that Sandra has worked with for many years and her Tinhorn Merlots are consistent winners.
There are still seats available for this event. If you wish to attend and have not registered or wish to bring additional guests, please register by mail or on-line at http://www.karelo.com/enter_res.php?&BID=135
Featured Merlots
Sterling Vineyards 2004 Napa Valley Merlot
St Francis Winery & Vineyard 2005 Sonoma County Merlot
Rodney Strong Vineyards 2005 Sonoma County Merlot
Capolan Winery 2005 Sonoma County Merlot
Columbia Crest Winery 2005 Washington Grand Estates Merlot
Chateau St Jean 2005 Sonoma County Merlot
Beringer Vineyards 2005 Napa Valley Merlot
Ferrari Carano Mountain Winery 2005 Sonoma County Merlot
Blackstome Winery 2006 Sonoma County Reserve Merlot
Tinhorn Creek Winery 2005 Oldfield’s Merlot
The event notice is posted here: http://www.vaws.org/events/ev09_merlot.html
April 29 – Blue Water Café at Books to Cooks
www.bookstocooks.com
Congratulations to the Blue Water Cafe, Gold medal winner of the Seafood category and Silver medal winner in the Restaurant of the Year category of the 2009 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards.
Books to Cooks is pleased to announce that we have copies of the highly anticipated Blue Water Cafe Seafood Cookbook by Frank Pabst. This beautifully photographed book features recipes that make the Blue Water Cafe famous for its innovative seafood.
Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks invites you to an evening of Blue Water Cafe with Frank Pabst, Executive Chef of the Blue Water Cafe. On Wednesday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m. guests will join Frank in a celebration of his new book, The Blue Water Cafe Seafood Cookbook. Frank will demonstrate his unique cooking approach and will feature recipes from this beautifully written and photographed
book. Cost is $125.00.
For more information about this and other events, please visit our website at www.bookstocooks.com and call 604-688-6755 to register.
April 30 – Deuce and Church and State Wine Dinner
www.deucerestaurant.ca
5 wines and 6 courses of food
6:30pm reception 7pm dinner
Reception : Pinot Gris paired with fresh shucked Fannay Bay Oyster drizzled
with a classic mignonette sauce
First Course: Chardonnay paired with a Giant scallop ,crispy pancetta, vanilla-mango
puree, vegetarian caviar, crispy sage leaf
Second Course: Pinot Noir paired with a Cherrywood Smoked Duck Ravioli with
a black current reduction
Third Course: Merlot paired with Braised Beef Short Ribs au jus, sweet potato mash
Fourth Course: Syrah paired with our Steak Neptune Marinated beef tenderloin, crab meat, bearnaise sauce, roasted corn on a chive rosti
Fifth Course: “Mini” indulgence, Double Chocolate Cake, dark chocolate
ganache, white chocolate drizzle
1617 Lonsdale Ave (across form Extra foods)
Limited seating
$69. Per person plus applicable taxes
Call today to reserve your spot
604-988-8180
April 29 – Burnaby’s Empty Bowls Project Invites You to Nosh for a Cause
Call Shadbolt Centre for the Arts Box Office at 604 205-3000 or
Lawrence Ryan @ Stoney Creek Community School at (604) 664-8849
On that evening Burnaby’s Empty Bowls Project will host its fifth Gala
reception, an event that will raise funds to help feed the city’s hungry
while treating guests to cuisine prepared by some of Burnaby’s hottest
chefs.
The reception-style Gala will be held at Burnaby’s Hilton Vancouver Metrotown
Hotel. Bites for the event will be prepared by celebrated local chefs, and guests
will enjoy live entertainment as well as a silent auction. Each guest will also
take home a beautifully handcrafted ceramic bowl as a memento.
Proceeds will go to Burnaby’s Food First Committee, a coalition of community
service organizations and volunteers who work to address issues of food security
and hunger issues in Burnaby. We invite you to join us for a fun evening at
this worthwhile event!
Sponsors and Contributors
Scotiabank, Burnaby Now, Chevron, The City of Burnaby, Divyesh and Charu Gadhia,
Hemlock Printers, Boffo Construction, Hart House at Deer Lake, Hilton Vancouver
Metrotown Hotel, Horizons Restaurant, The Pear Tree Restaurant & The Valley
Bakery
The Crystal Ballroom at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown
6083 McKay Avenue, Burnaby
Wednesday, April 29 2009
5:30 pm
$ 50 inclusive of tax
For tickets:
Call Shadbolt Centre for the Arts Box Office at 604 205-3000 or
Lawrence Ryan @ Stoney Creek Community School at (604) 664-8849
May 1 – 8th Annual Steveston Seafood & Wine Festival
7:00pm – 9:30pm
Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site
(west end of Moncton Road, Steveston)
12138 – 4th Avenue, Richmond
For additional information: Don Pfeffer 604-274-6764 or FarmGate@telus.net, or Bill McNulty 604-277-2176, or Peter Mitchell 604-277-8882.
Tickets $50. Includes complimentary plate and glass.
Silent and live auction
Participating Wineries & Restaurants:
Arrowleaf Cellars, Blackwood Lane, Blossom, Blue Canoe, Burrowing Owl, Cake
Art, Church & State, Cob’s Bread, Damiens Belgian Waffles, Desert
Hills, Diplomat Bakery, Dirty Laundry, Domaine De Chaberton, 8th Generation,
Elephant Island, Forbidden Fruit, Ganton & Larsen, George’s Taverna,
Geringher Bros, Gone Crackers, Hester Creek, Ichiro Japanese Restaurant, Kettle
Valley, Lake Breeze, Little Straw, Morning Bay, Mount Boucherie, Neptune Food
Service, Nichol Vineyards, Pajo’s Fish & Chips, Papi’s Ristorante
Italiano, Peller Estates, Pentage, Pure Water Shoppe, Red Rooster, Road 13,
Robin Ridge, St. Hubertus, Sanduz, Saturna Island, Starbucks Coffee, Starling
Lane, Steveston Seafood House, Summerhill, Tapenade Bistro, The Fort, The Point
Restaurant, Thornhaven, Tinhorn Creek, Westham Island, Wild Goose
Proceeds to Richmond community projects
